The Strength of Love
by Mellkat86
Summary: This is a sequel to 'Locked and Alone'. You do not have to read it before hand, as it is briefly summarised in Part 1 of 'The Strength of Love'. Some months have passed since what happened in 'Locked and Alone' and Rumpel and Belle haven't moved much further on. Enjoying an evening with her son, an unexpected visitor comes to Storybrooke, who wants to take Rumpel's power.
1. Chapter 1

The library was quiet. More quiet than Belle was used to it being. Normally there would be a flurry of people, mostly the Charmings, running in and trying to research the new threat and a way to defeat it. Since the last threat had been Belle's son, Gideon, which they had managed stop by soothing his torment and had talked some sense into him, there had not been much going on in Storybrooke for anyone to fear about. So things had returned to a somewhat normality for Storybrooke. A normality that was a ghostly reminder of when the Evil Queen, aka Regina, had originally cursed the residents of Storybrooke.

One thing had not returned to normal though. Rumple and Belle. They had managed to agree to deal with things one day at a time. One day at a time had turned into 'we just won't talk, it'll be easier'. She huffed at the book in front of her, the built up frustration of not being able to talk to her husband was getting the better of her. Belle saw him every day as he went about his business in the shop and around town. Pining for any sort of contact with him, even if he shouted at her again, she would be happy with that.

Since their confrontation at his house, Rumpel had returned to keeping himself to himself. He was not involved with people around town. He did not come to the social events. The only things he had timed for was his shop and their son, Gideon. The two had sat down and managed to get some equal ground between them. Rumpel had been so easy on Gideon, forgiving Gideon after he had trapped Rumpel in his own body with an immobilising spell. Unable to speak or move, just lie there and listen. Belle wished in the darkest part of her that he were still immobilised so she could actually speak to him.

Belle glanced up at the clock and noticed it was nearly five pm. Time to lock up and go home. She still was not have used to the fact her baby boy, who to her was merely six months old, was a twenty eight year old man. Belle had to do a double take on him in the morning, as this stranger walked out of her second bedroom into the bathroom.

The doors to the library rattled as the door shut against the other. Belle locked the doors and crossed the road over to Grannies, where Gideon would be meeting her for dinner. Her eyes instantly went to Rumpel's shop. The lights were still on and his car parked at the side. With a deep sigh, Belle dragged her eyes away from the shop and focused on Grannies. She walked purposefully up the steps to Grannies and reached for the door to open it. The door suddenly came towards Belle. Instinctively Belle stepped to one side to miss the door.

As the door opened wider, his aftershave greeted her. The smell of oak invaded her senses and caused her to squeeze her eyes shut, trying to hold onto the memory of his smell.

"Oh," Rumpel was surprised. "Hey Belle."

"Hello…" She whispered to him. Lost in his smell. Belle did not know how long they had stood there, but she did not care. It was as if he was all around her at once and they were back in his bedroom. He was fresh from shower, a shower she had interrupted and dreamt about every night. His lean figure leaning into the water, soaping his hair. Belle had nearly ran in fully clothed just to be near him, but had held herself back.

"Belle…?"

Then in his basement, they had been so close it pained her. His strong arms had held her, holding her steady when she fell off the stool. His hair a mess and wet. Belle missed his long hair, but she really liked his short hair. Yes, she admitted, there was not enough to get her fingers lost in, but there was definitely enough to get a fistful of and tug on it.

"Hello…?"

Oh, he had left her so mad in the basement. Telling her to 'Never mind' her apology and 'Now go'. She had nearly left that morning. The front door had stood open in front of her, the light playing through the multi-coloured glass. Her rage had built to breaking point. 'How dare you not forgive me!', she had fumed going up the stairs after slamming his front door. If the glass had broken, she did not care in that moment. He had pushed her button.

"Belle!" Rumpel's voice betrayed how worried he was.

Belle had planned to beat him to a pulp with her words. Give him a dressing down he had never received before. However, as he stood there in his underwear, his hair flattened and straight, the strong smell of his body wash… Belle had lost it. She had to devour him. It felt as though he felt the same, sweeping her off her feet and shoved her onto the chest of draws that moments ago she had pinned him against. Oh, she had been so lost to him.

Her fantasy was interrupted by the squeeze to her shoulder. Belle's eyes flew open, looked to the hand on her shoulder, and then to the owner who stood in front of her. His eyes were dark and mysterious. She adored them.

"Belle, are you alright?" Rumpel asked concern was thick in his voice.

"I… Erm… Yeah, I'm just dandy." She giggled. Not at him. At her memories.

"Are you sure?" Rumpel said, his eyes scanning her from top to bottom for a reason in her lapse of response.

Belle straightened her coat. "Yep. I'm fine, thanks. You?"

"I'm okay." He went to take a step and paused. "Can we sort out some time to talk?"

"Sure, any time, Rumpel. Just give me a call when it's good for you." She swallowed hard.

He gave her a wry smile and then left, taking his bag of takeout food with him. Belle followed him with her eyes until he was out of sight. The deep sigh she released startled her for a second, thinking that he may have heard it. When she was sure he was not about the reappear, Belle pulled at Grannie's entrance door and made her way inside. The smell of burgers and lasagne assaulted her. She would rather smell Rumpel any day.

Gideon sat in one of the booths, studying the menu for something new to try. He was slowly working his way through the entire menu, sampling the different dishes he had missed growing up. Soon they were going to have to try one of the other restaurants in town. If Granny found out, they would be dead.

"Hey!" Belle greeted as she slid into the seat opposite Gideon.

"Hey!" Her sudden presence surprised Gideon. "Father was just in here."

"Yeah, I bumped into him as he was leaving." She grabbed a menu from the stand and started fanning herself with it. It seemed unusually hot for Grannies.

Gideon looked puzzled at her before returning to the menu. "He suggested that I try the pastrami sandwich with gherkins."

"That is one of his favs." Belle replied as she began looking at the menu instead of using it as a fan.

Placing his menu back in the stand, Gideon leaned forward onto the table. "Are you two going to be alright? I mean, are you going to get back together?"

Belle let a heavy sigh out and dropped the menu onto the table. "To be honest, son, I have no clue at the moment. All I can say is that I'm glad we're not arguing. But then, I would welcome an argument with him, if it meant we started talking."

"Is it… because of me?" Gideon questioned. A hint of guilt was in his eyes.

"No." She weakly smiled at him and reached across to touch his face reassuringly. "We were already heading here on our own. Nothing to do with you, sweetheart."

A small smile crept across Gideon's lips. Belle knew he felt guilty for everything that happened when he arrived. Yes, he had caused quite a stir when he came to Storybrooke. First threatening to kill Emma and then imprisoned his father, Rumpel, in his own body. Nevertheless, Gideon had been very troubled. Troubled because his parents could not put aside all the heartache and work together to protect their son. They both had known best.

Her thoughts were broke by the sound of a car crashing into a shop window outside. Everyone in Grannies fell silent and then slowly made their way outside. As Belle came down the steps of Grannies, they could see a car had crashed into the shop front opposite. Steam was coming up from the front of the car. The driver's door opened and a resident of Storybrooke crawled out of the car.

Belle stopped at the pavement and watched some of the others from Grannies run over to the unknown person. She was so enthralled with the scene in front of her. Belle did not notice the strong hand squeeze at her arm until she felt his warmth through her coat. His smell assaulted her again.

"Are you okay?" Rumpel's voice was deep and he was slightly out of breath. She nodded at him. "Gideon, are you okay?"

"Yes, father. What about him?" Gideon said to Rumpel.

"I'll be right back." Rumpel headed over to the group that were standing around the man, who had crawled out of the car. Someone gasped to Belle's right. She looked to see who it was and what had caused it.

In the middle of the street, stood a woman dressed all in black. She was striding down the road towards where the car had crashed. It did not look as though she was coming to help. It was as if she had some other plan on her mind. Baffled by the woman's behaviour, Belle frowned at her when the woman began to smile. A smile that looked eviler than the Evil Queen's.

"Mother!" Gideon grabbed hold of Belle's upper arms. "It's her!"

"It's who, Gideon?" Belle looked over her shoulder at her son. His face was white. He watched the woman as his grip on Belle got tighter. So tight, it was starting to hurt Belle.

"Oh, Rumpel!" The woman called. Everyone that was helping the man stopped and looked over to the woman, who had come to a stop a couple of feet away. Belle could see Rumpel kneeling on the ground and was healing the man's injuries. The people surrounding Rumpel and the man began to split, revealing the unsuspecting Rumpel and his patient.

"Rumpel, darling." She chided again. This time, Rumpel's attention drew away from the man. His face straightened. He showed no emotion.

Belle frantically looked between her son and Rumpel, and then looked at the woman that was very familiar with her husband. The more she looked at the woman, the more she felt she knew her. It began to dawn. The night she had followed Rumpel and had wanted to make sure the baby he had stolen was all right. The night Belle had watched her husband call his mother, the Black Fairy.

"Hello" Rumpel stood. "Mother." Belle could not help the gasp and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"You look well, son." The Black Fairy said, allowing her gaze to trace over the crowd until she came to rest on Gideon. The smile that tugged at the woman's lips, Belle had wanted to slap it right off her face. Slowly, the Black Fairy ambled over to where Belle and Gideon were standing.

"It's so nice to see you, Gideon." The Black Fairy reached out her hand to Gideon about to touch his face. Without any thought, Belle slapped the Black Fairy's hand away from him and pulled him closer behind her.

Belle's action amused the Black Fairy. "So, you're the one my son had a child with. Aren't you delightful?"

In a flash, Rumpel was in front of Belle, restraining one the Black Fairy's arms in front of her. Shocked Belle stood back into her son, pushing both of them backwards. She had not seen it coming. The Black Fairy was about to slap Belle around the face and Rumpel had stopped it. Always her saviour.

"Don't touch her!" Rumpel's growl was deep and animal like. The innocent people that stood around them quickly moved away. After a second, the Black Fairy broke out into a hysterical laugh before she disappeared from Rumpel's hold. He shocked for a second that she was gone from his grip before the Black Fairy reappeared several feet away from him.

The Black Fairy shook her head at Rumpel, as she spoke. "Did your father never teach you not to touch a woman?"

"Well, you see, mother that was a bit hard as he abandoned me too." Rumpel stepped towards his mother, putting some space between Belle and him. "So, I didn't learn things like that, dearie."

The Black Fairy was unaffected by her son's words. Belle squeezed her eyes shut feeling sorry for Rumpel. Both his parents had failed him. She was lucky he had become at least a half-decent man. The other half had a habit of killing people.

"Seemed your father wasn't as stupid as I had thought he was. Wasting our time on you was pointless." His mother spat the comment at him, absently waving her hand in the air.

"Yes, a lot of things about me are pointless." His shoulders were so tensed, Belle badly wanted to soothe him. "What do you want? You are not having Gideon, if that's what you think." Rumpel was stern.

The Black Fairy laughed. "Gideon? Want him?" She laughed again. "Don't be silly. I thought, at least, you being the Dark One, you would have gained some intelligence. Seems not. I only needed him to get me here." The Black Fairy closed the gap between her and Rumpel. They stood face to face. "No, I'm here to take your power."

Before anyone had a chance of doing anything, the Black Fairy waved her hand and Rumpel flew down the street, sliding to a halt in the intersection of the road. Belle went to run to him, but Gideon held her still. She fought against her son but stopped, watching Rumpel clamber up to his feet. The Black Fairy strode over to him. Her hands were coming up to perform another attack on him.

It happened so quick that Belle missed it. Rumpel had sent his mother flying into shop front window. She had smashed through the window and gone deep into the shop. Everyone stood in wonderment as more Storybrooke residents arrived. In the wave of people, the Charmings and Regina arrived. They looked around quickly, trying to assess what was happening. Some more glass shattered as the Black Fairy climbed through the broken window. She cleared the glass off her shoulders and picked some out of her hair.

"That was not nice, Rumpel." The Black Fairy scolded Rumpel.

"Play nice then, dearie." Rumpel said, taking a stance ready to take a hit. It did not matter that he was ready for it. Belle heard the force of his body hitting the brick wall behind him. His head slamming against the hard wall echoed in the street. He fell to the floor. Rumpel made no move to get up.

Regina was the first to go to Rumpel's aid. She swiped her hand in the Black Fairy's direction, forcing the woman to the ground. Emma followed suit and hit the Black Fairy again, moving her motionless body across the ground and into the gutter. The pair rushed over to the Black Fairy, but with a wave of her hand, she was gone into the evening air.

Breaking out of Gideon's grip when it loosened, Belle ran to Rumpel's side. He was still in a heap on the floor. She knelt beside him, gingerly touching him. When he did not move to her touch, she pressed further, her hands trying to find injuries. His body was still apart from his breathing. Belle grabbed onto his clothing and turned him over. Rumpel's eyes were shut. There was blood bleaching his short peppered hair and trickling down his forehead.

"Rumpel!" She whispered urgently at him, clutching fistfuls of his suit jacket.

Emma was at Belle's side first. "Let's get him in his shop. Get him off the street."

The tears ran down Belle's face and dripped onto Rumpel's face, mixing in with the blood that was working its way down his face. It unnerved her. The only time he was this still, was when he was dying or Gideon had imprisoned him inside of himself.

Charming and Gideon picked Rumpel off the floor and carried him into his shop. They struggled to get him through the curtain doorway to the back room, but laid him gently onto the bed Rumpel had in the back. Belle pushed pass everyone and knelt at Rumpel's side, soothing his bloody hair.


	2. Chapter 2

Belle sat quietly on the floor beside the cot that Rumpel was lying on and stroked his hand that laid at his side. He had not woke up yet. Regina had healed his wound to his head and the bump that had formed under the small wound. It surprised Belle how much a small wound on Rumpel's head could cause so much blood. The dried blood had matted his hair to his head and stained his greying hair an ungodly colour. She could not bear to look at the reminder that her Rumpel had been hurt and hurt by none other than his mother.

As a mother herself, even after a short amount of time, she could never put herself in Rumpel's mother position. Why would she hurt her son? And why did she want his power? She seemed to have enough power to cause harm to her son already, so why did she need more? It did not add up to Belle, but then she was a simpleton when it came to the magic side of life. It scared her and made her curious at the same time.

"Belle…?" A small voice called to Belle through the curtained doorway. Belle rose from her position on the floor and gave Rumpel a loving caress to his cheek before she went into the front of the shop. She glanced over her shoulder to see Gideon take up residence next to his father, his eyes constantly watching his father's face.

Slipping through the heavy material of the curtains, Belle came to stop beside Snow, who was reading a book on the glass counter. Snow gave Belle a reassuring smile before returning to her book. Belle peeked over her shoulder to see what the other woman was reading.

"It seems the Black Fairy has been around quite a long time." Snow informed Belle. "She was around long before Rumpel was even born."

"Really?" Belle asked taking a closer look at the book.

"Yeah, she was thrown out of the fairies because she was expecting a child." Snow said with a sympathetic hand touching Belle's forearm.

"When she became pregnant with Rumpel?" Belle's eyebrows rose at the information.

"Then he was born." Snow pointed to a section of the page. "She left and went back to the fairies, hoping to get accepted back into the fold. However, they resented her for abandoning her child and they banished her. Her hatred grew and her heart became black. That's when she vowed to kidnap children and do anything to stop the good work of the fairies."

"The Black Fairy must really hold that against Rumpel." Belle was lost in her words. The thoughts were running round and round in her mind made her dizzy. She realised then how much hurt and hatred had been forced onto one little boy by his parents. It was no wonder he grown up with the beast on his back.

They heard a raised voice from the back of the shop. "Father, lay back down! You hit your head really hard!"

Belle dashed into the back of the shop, the curtains flung to one side as she burst through them. Gideon and Rumpel were on their feet in the middle of the room. They were struggling against one another. Rumpel was trying to pull himself free of the young man's hold, snatching his arms out of his hold, only for Gideon to catch hold of him somewhere else. Gideon grabbed a handful of Rumpel's waistcoat, pulling the elder man towards him.

"Let go of me, boy!" Rumpel snarled, trying to break Gideon's hold

"Rumpel!" Belle cried, closing the distance between her and her family.

"Let me go!" Rumpel growled, his eyes seething at his son.

Belle grabbed onto Rumpel's face between her two hands and made him look at her. "Don't!"

He stopped. His eyes stared into her eyes. The anger was evident in his face. Her thumbs caressed his face, soothing the beast inside her husband. Rumpel closed his eyes with his hands coming up to gentle rest on Belle's hands. He clasped her hands and took a deep breath. In one movement, Rumpel tugged her towards her and hugged her tightly to his chest.

"You're okay." He whispered into her ear. The words spoken for himself. Needing to hear out loud that she was okay.

"Yes, I'm okay." Belle buried her face into the nape of his neck. Her previous worry gave into the submission of his smell. Everything else melted away as they shared this precious moment together. They held each other. Rumpel lightly kissed her temple and he turned his face into her hair breathing her in deeply.

The curtain rustled behind her. "Ah, crocodile's up!" Hook announced to the other room. The use of an un-liked nickname made Rumpel tense. Belle felt him turn his gaze to the unwelcomed visitor as the warmth of his face left the crook of her neck. His arms slowly released her and he moved her to one side to move pass her towards Hook. She turned to watch Rumpel with Gideon coming to stand beside her, his arm protectively resting over Belle's shoulders.

Rumpel's shoulders looked tensed and he stroke towards Hook with a purpose. Hook quickly moved out of Rumpel's way, when he saw the look that was on Rumpel's face. Rumpel's temper was boiling. The curtains felt it as he flung them aside and disappeared into the front of the shop. Belle, Gideon and Hook hastily followed him into the other room. He stomped towards the front door with everyone watching with gapping mouths.

"Where're you going?" Belle shouted at him. Rumpel stopped with his hand resting on the doorknob to the door. He gazed at her over his arm. She had seen him somewhat like this before, when Robin Hood had stolen a wand from Rumpel's collection. However, the hatred she saw in his eyes, the anger, was much more than that. Maybe even something she could not soothe.

"Don't try and stop me, sweetheart!" Belle heard the venom in Rumpel's words, but knew it was not towards her or anyone in the room. "She's going to pay!"

"Just wait a second." Belle pleaded as she moved to stand in the middle of the shop.

"For what? For her to come and attack me again? To attack you or Gideon!" Rumpel chided, his hand fell from the doorknob, and he turned to face her.

"No, of course, not. We've found a book with a passage in about her." Belle tried to gesture for him to come and see it. He stubbornly held his ground by the door.

Trying a new tactic, she picked up the book and took it to him. "Look, this depicts how she was thrown out of the fairies."

"I know all this!" He flung his hand through the air. The book flew out of a Belle's hands and just missed hitting Hook in the face. Everyone stared at the book that sat helplessly on the floor behind Hook.

The door's bell rattled and rang, as the door was forcefully yanked open. "I have not got time for these stupid books! You can all stand in here and read these dust collectors, while I go deal with… her!"

"Wait!" Regina jogged over to the door, her hand resting on the glass in the door to stop him opening it further. "You can't do it on your own."

Rumpel did not move. The growl was deep. "Move!"

"Listen to me!" Regina said to him as her hand moved from the door to Rumpel's forearm. "We can help you. Let us help…"

"Don't talk to me about helping me!" He erupted slamming the door shut again. "When have you ever helped me? Never! You've just caused me heartache! You locked my Belle, my true love, in a dungeon for years! And you want me to let you help me?" He turned to the rest of the room as Regina stepped back against the display cabinet behind her, hit by his words. "All of you! Meddlers!"

Belle gently touched his arm. He spun round so quickly, he nearly knocked Belle off her feet. "Don't you touch me right now!"

"Please, Rumpel." Her voice was a whisper. Rumpel breathed heavily at her. His eyes held her. Belle let him stand for a silent moment and then touched his hand. He did not scare her. Rumpel was hurting and whether he wanted it or not, she was going to soothe his beast back into control.

As she laced their fingers together, Rumpel's shoulders fell with all the tension evaporating at her touch. The strong angry man deflated in front of her. The intensity he had in eyes had been replaced with unshed tears. Belle lifted her free hand to stroke at his cheek and gave him a loving smile. Her smile was his undoing. Rumpel near enough tripped on his own feet and fell into her arms, his face seeking to hide in her shoulder. She held him and gently rubbed over his back.

Regina's hand rubbed at Rumpel's upper arm. He did not show that he was aware of her touch, but Belle thanked her with a brief smile. The group went back to looking through the various books they had dug out of Rumpel's small library. Hook picked up the book that had tried to assault him and watched it cautiously, putting it onto the side with the other books.

Snow began to wander over to where Belle still held Rumpel and began to talk to Regina. "Look at this."

"What?" Regina said to her, glancing over the pages Snow was showing to her.

Before anymore was said, Belle fell forward into the cloud of smoke that had enveloped Rumpel. Stunned Belle steadied herself against Regina and Snow. Everyone looked around the room as Gideon ran to look through the curtains into the back of the shop.

"He isn't back here!" Gideon shouted from the rear of the shop.

A loud cry of pain erupted from outside. The occupants of the Rumpel's shop did not know which way to run first. The cry came from all directions. It was a deathly cry. The amount of hurt someone must have gone through to cry out with that much emotion was unheard of. Belle's grip on Regina and Snow tightened before she bolted towards the front door and ripped the door open.

As she came to stand outside Rumpel's shop at the kerb, her breath caught in her chest at the sight she could see down the street. Rumpel was in the middle of the street. The Black Fairy stood a few feet away from him and laughed at her son. Rumpel let further cries of pain escape. He was knelt on the floor. Some sort of jewel type shard was piercing through his chest and protruded through his back. There was further like spikes piercing through his hands, keeping him restrained and from using his magic.

"No!" Gideon yelled and ran towards where his father was knelt in agony. The Black Fairy saw him coming and flick her hand sending Gideon flying backwards. Belle went to his aid and helped him off the ground.

Emma was the first to throw a pure ball of magic at the Black Fairy. Sadly, she easily deflected it and laughed at the lame attempt. Scowling, Emma made another attempt with Regina joining her with an assault of fireballs. The two threw several balls of magic towards the Black Fairy but she deflected each one before raising a protection barrier in front of her.

"Enough!" The Black Fairy shouted. "You cannot stop me!"

Rumpel tried to move but stopped to let a blood-curdling cry out. The Black Fairy bent over to Rumpel and said something to him that no one could hear. At her words, his body fell in defeat against the jewel shard that erupted from the ground and through him.

"Now," The Black Fairy said, catching everyone's attention. "Don't touch him." She gestured to Rumpel. "If you touch him, more spikes will form and will relentlessly burrow through him, causing him much pain for this worthless maggot."

"Leave him alone!" Belle screamed. She began to run over to Rumpel, but Charming caught her mid stride with an arm around her waist. He whispered in her ear and tried to steady her as Belle bucked against his arm, kicking at his legs as she fought.

"Ooo!" The Black Fairy clapped her hands in glee. "Go on! Let her go! I want to see this!"

At hearing her words, Belle dug deep inside her and found the strength to break from Charming's hold. She ran full pelt at the Black Fairy. In her newfound fury, Belle had forgotten the protection barrier that the Black Fairy had erected in front of herself and ran straight into it. The force of her efforts rebounded her to hit the floor hard.

Another round of cries erupted from Rumpel as he fought against the spike that held him. Belle looked to Rumpel. His face was bright red with the anguish. He pushed further and began to move on the spike. A small amount of hope started to build in Belle's stomach. 'He's fighting!' Belle told herself. His foot found a more stable footing and he began to push again.

The ground underneath erupted grumbling the tarmac beneath Rumpel. A spike in the same material as the previous grew from the ground. It stopped for a second and then shot straight through Rumpel's stomach region. Rumpel wailed as the spike pierce through Rumpel's back and stopped at the same height as the first spike.

"Stop!" Belle screamed, her hands covering her face.

The Black Fairy was standing over Belle, where she sat on the floor, and bent down to her height. "I am going to find his dagger now. Be a dear for me and make sure he doesn't escape. Every time he tries to break from those spikes, he will endure more pain, just the way I like it."

Belle could not speak. She vaguely noted that the Black Fairy had puffed herself into a cloud of black smoke and was gone. Her eyes stared at Rumpel. His gaze fixed on the road in front of him. The amount of effort he had to build to lift himself against his bodyweight was putting a tremendous strain on him. If he allowed his arms to relax, he would fall further onto the spikes. Even with his black waistcoat and shirt, Belle could see the small amount of blood that was seeping from the wounds the spikes had caused, glistening in the streetlights.

Footsteps pounded on the pavement and came to stand near Belle. Gideon grabbed at Belle's woolly jumper as he knelt beside her on the road. Belle's breath hitched as Rumpel began to struggle again against the spikes, trying to push himself up. Just as before, another spike shot out of the ground and pierced through his left thigh. Unable to bear the cry from her husband, Belle turned her face into Gideon's chest.

"Rumpel!" Regina shouted at him. "Stop fighting!"

"NO!" He roared.

"Just stop!" Emma yelled.

Charming pipped up. "Rumpel, don't do it!"

"She wins, if I stop!" Rumpel began to push himself off the spikes again but stopped at the weak voice. "Don't, Rumpel! Please! I can't bear it!"

Rumpel's eyes squeezed shut at Belle's voice. He stopped moving and the silent surrender fell over Rumpel, resting his weight onto his free knee. Belle swallowed hard at the sight of her husband. She wanted to run over to him and kiss his pain away, but she held the Black Fairy's words in high regard at that precise moment. If she touched him, he would get further spikes run through his body. She was lost and not because of him, for once. She was lost because she could not be his hero.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun had started to rise over Storybrooke, chasing the dark shadows away for another day. The streetlights had begun to turn themselves off, blinking off a minute or two after the one before it. Belle sat on the kerb leaning against a lamppost, her eyes shutting out the horror in front of her. Everyone had stayed with Rumpel all night. Blue had come to join them and examined the spikes at a safe distance. Upon seeing the leader of the fairies, Rumpel had started trying to break free from the spikes and spat words of hatred towards all fairies, but mostly at Blue, for losing their son to the Black Fairy. Because of his exploits, he had gained another spike that had stabbed through another part of his chest. Belle could not stand hearing his heart-wrenching screams.

The group were scattered around the street. No one knew what to do or how to help Rumpel. Gideon had been explaining the shadow magic to Blue and Regina. During the exchanged, Rumpel had retreated inwardly and had stop responding when someone spoke to him. His head had remained bowed as though he was in deep meditation. Belle was not able to reach him anymore. He was retreating deep into himself.

Rubbing at the soreness in her neck, Belle sat up from the lamppost and gazed over to Rumpel. Gideon was knelt in front of his father and was talking to him, or was rather talking at him. Belle shook her head at Rumpel. All anyone wanted to do was help him and he had stopped trying to help himself now. She did not know whether this was worse than what Gideon had done to Rumpel months ago. At least then, Rumpel had the choice to communicate removed from him. Now, he was being stubborn.

Gideon stood giving his father a wry smile and then came over to Belle, knocking into her as he sat on the kerb beside her. "He still won't answer me."

"Don't worry about it, Gideon. Keep trying." Belle slid her arm around Gideon's arm and lent onto his more comfortable shoulder. "He's listening."

"Suppose so." Gideon muttered.

The ringing of the bell on Rumpel's shop door made Belle peek pass Gideon to see Blue and Regina walking down the sidewalk with a book in Regina's hands. They were excitedly chatting between themselves with Blue pointing at the book. With a nod in agreement, the two walked over to where Rumpel was knelt on the floor.

"Rumpel," Regina knelt on the ground so she could see his face. "We're going to try this spell." He did not answer her. Pushing herself off the ground, Regina looked to Belle and Gideon and nodded her head at them. Belle sensed this was not going to go well and clutched at Gideon's arm, preparing herself for the screams to erupt from Rumpel.

Regina called Emma over to her and began to explain what they were about to do. The three nodded in unison and turned to face Rumpel. Belle could hear the three of them repeating some incantation together, their hands focusing their power towards Rumpel. The three beams of magic were bombarding Rumpel and the spikes. Nothing happened for a moment. Then the spikes ever so slowly began to retract from Rumpel. He whimpered with the movement, his weight pulled by the spike.

"Oh my god!" Snow cried. "It's working!"

Belle wiped at the tear that she felt on her cheek and steadily got to her feet with Gideon following her, his hand reassuringly staying on her back. They watched as the spikes slid back into Rumpel's back. A small chuckle of relief escaped Belle. She felt brave enough to go to her husband, coming to stand beside Regina. Everyone watched and came closer.

Gideon frowned. "Something's wrong."

"It's just taking time." Snow comforted, coming round to stand beside Belle and clutched at Belle's elbow.

"No," Gideon shook his head. "Those spikes should have left his body by now."

"What?" Belle questioned, her eyebrows scrunched over her eyes. Her gaze went from Rumpel to Gideon as it happened. The spikes shot back through Rumpel and lifted him off the ground. Regina, Emma and Blue stopped, shocked at the reaction their casting had caused to Rumpel.

The spikes suspended him. Gravity now pushed Rumpel's full weight down onto the unrelenting spikes. Rumpel's cry was sickening. Tears fell down his cheeks. He panted heavily against the pain. Belle screamed at Rumpel's torture, her legs gave way from underneath her from the horror. Gideon and Snow struggled to keep Belle up.

"Should we try again?" Emma asked, her hand held over her mouth.

"NO!" Rumpel wept between waves of pain. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Regina dropped the book to the floor and quickly followed it, staring at the man that was once her tutor. The once strong independent man was now broken. He cried openly in front of everyone, not that anyone could blame him, but sobbed much like a cry when they had fallen over and grazed their knee for the first time. New lines were appearing on his face from the torment his body was going through.

The tears ran down Belle's face. She could not take it anymore. He needed her and she could not be there. Belle could not even comfort her true love. Putting herself in his place, Belle felt something begin to build in the pit of her stomach. In all the years that she had been alive, Belle had never really known what hatred was. Oh, yes, she had hated people. She had hated Regina. Belle had never been at that point she had found herself. She wanted vengeances.

She wiped the tears from her face forcefully and shook Gideon and Snow off. "That's it!"

"Mother?" Gideon was shocked by the sudden change in his mother.

"I will not stand here anymore!" Belle strode purposefully to stand in front of Rumpel. "I love you, Rumpel." He choked at her words, shushing another cry. She turned to face the four women and Gideon behind her. "I am not having this woman destroy my husband! We need to find her and make her undo this!"

"But, Belle," Snow hesitantly stepped towards Belle and placed her hands on her upper arms. "We need to help Rumpel. We can't leave him…"

Belle erupted. "Don't tell me what I need to do! I am going to kill this… This bitch! If it is the last thing I do in this world!"

She left everyone in shock and strode off towards Rumpel's shop, a fire burning in her stomach. Now she understood how Rumpel felt. All the times he had gone off on a rampage or a crusade to wreak havoc on the residents of Storybrooke. Belle had come to the end of her patients. This Black Fairy did not know the woman that Rumpel had married. She was a fighter and she was going to fight for her husband to the very end.

The door to Rumpel's shop took another beating as Belle tossed it open, the force made the doorframe crack. Belle trudged through the shop into the back, nearly ripping the curtains down. She started tossing things off the shelves and searched through the cupboards. Belle did not know what she was looking for, but she felt she would when she found it. There had to be something in Rumpel's shop that could help her kill that poor excuse of so-called 'mother in law'. Something that would give her the satisfaction she needed.

"Mother?" Gideon's voice surprised Belle from her search. She shook her head at him and threw a shelf full of scrolls on the floor. Ripping open draws and cupboards, Belle became more frustrated and hurled more things onto the floor, smashing bottles onto the vanished wooden floor.

Belle let an exasperated cry. She kicked at the sturdy workbench that Rumpel was always huddled over, working on a new spell or an antique he had acquired. She stopped to take in his workbench. She started to think about whether she would ever see him here again. His brow furrowed, his tongue dancing over his lip as he concentrated on a delicate clock piece. Seeing his smile when he realised she was standing in the doorway watching him.

Gideon had bravely trudged through the mess to stand beside his mother, his hand gingerly resting on her arm. "It's okay."

"No, Gideon." She shook her head at him. "No, it's not!"

"We'll find a way." Gideon tried to smile at her. Belle closed her eyes at his words before she walked away from him to the other side of the workbench. Her hands glided over the smooth wooden workbench. There were pieces of paper with Rumpel's handwriting scattered over the bench.

"The only way is to do what your father would do." Belle stated to Gideon.

Gideon's head shook at her. "He wouldn't want you to do that! Mother, you are his light. Do not turn to his darkness. You're better than that."

"I am only better with your father at my side. I may not even have that if the Black Fairy gets his dagger. I am about to lose him!" Belle slammed her hand down onto the table. "Again!"

"We just need to…" Belle cut off Gideon, shouting at him. "Do not tell me what I need to do! I have told you and them! She's dead!"

"Mother, please!" Gideon tripped over some of the debris on the floor. Belle ignored him and went back to ripping draws and cupboards open. She dragged things out of the cupboards and slung them over her shoulder, nearly hitting Gideon with things as he came around the workbench.

"I need to find… Find something!" Belle yelled, slinging a gauntlet over her shoulder.

"Mother!" Gideon shouted. He scooped Belle into a hug from behind. She fought against him, trying to shake him off. Gideon held on as if his life depended on it.

After some futile thrashing, Belle stilled in her son's arms, all her energy was gone, and she slumped against him. He held her and said nothing. Belle breathed heavily, trying to calm herself. The feeling of being lost had come back to haunt her. She had been lost a long time ago. Held captive in a castle and was being made to do the unthinkable. Made to marry someone not for love. Then he had come. Not for her, but to inflict some deal on her captor for a price, because that was what he did to amuse himself. Rumpel's price though had been her.

Rumpel had brought her away from the agony of having to live up to others expectations. He had never expected anything from her and it had been refreshing. A man that had just enjoyed her company. Yes, he had been her master, but he behaved more as a cohabiter than lording over her. They talked about more than just 'what you should do for your people, Belle'. He had been places, he had seen wonders and he was delighted to share these experiences with her as they shared tea together. Seeing the man behind his mask, Belle had fallen for the vulnerable man that hid in the darkness. The man that been flabbergasted that she could ever love him.

She clenched her eyes shut at the memory of him tossing her into his dungeon. His fear got the better of him, as it did on so many occasions. Scared she was going to leave, pushing her away. Belle knew that his fear had kept them from talking the last couple of months. His fear of what could happen. He had said that he could not do the endless toe to toe anymore. Being together and then splitting. As much as Rumpel expected Belle to leave him, Belle expected him to be doing some evil scheme all the time. Her fear that he would never pick her over his thirst for power. She was so sorry that they had gotten to this point in their relationship and that she had allowed him to go back to hiding in the shadows of his darkness. If only, she had chased him after their talk at his house, promising to take it one day at a time with him.

Belle wiped the stray tear off her face and stood out of Gideon's arms. Now she had calmed, he let his arms fall to his sides and rested his hands on the edge of the workbench. Absently Belle touched some of the things that were still on the shelves that she had not thrown onto the floor. Looking around, she knew that Rumpel was going to be having some choice words with her. It was as if a bomb had hit the back of his shop.

Scratching at her hairline, Belle turned to her son with a puzzled look. "Why does the Black Fairy want your father's power? She has her own power. Why does she need his as well?"

"I don't know." Gideon looked deep in thought for a moment and then added. "She always went on about how he dared to have happiness and that a dark one is not supposed to be able to love."

"Not supposed to be able to love?" Belle questioned, stepping over some things on the floor to a clear bit of the wooden floor.

"Well, from what she told me, the dark one calls upon all darkness for their power. Their heart is the blackest it gets. He shouldn't be able to feel anything for anyone, 'cause it should be like he doesn't have a heart." Gideon informed her, motioning to where his heart was in his chest with his hand.

Belle's brow creased. "So… Rumpel should not be able to feel anything."

"Exactly."

"But he does…" Belle's words trailed off.

"Yes, it really does the Black Fairy's head in because he can. She thinks it is because of Baelfire. Something to do with fatherly love. She went on and on about how he was a disappointment to her, because he never caused her to love him the same way he does Baelfire" Gideon pursed his lips together in further thought. "And the love he has for me."

Belle's eyebrows raised at the thought and turned to the cupboard that Rumpel kept many things locked in. She tested the cupboard door and it opened. The door opened to reveal a blue velvet bag. She remembered that bag. Belle had seen it when he had given her memories back when she had been Lacey. She plucked it from inside the cupboard and turned to his workbench, gently taking the chipped teacup from the velvet bag. It was missing some pieces, but it looked as though Rumpel had put what pieces he had back together.

Her fingers traced the rim of the teacup and then stopped on the chip. "It isn't fatherly love."

Gideon looked up from the floor to Belle. "What?"

"It isn't the love he has for Baelfire or for you, Gideon." Belle allowed herself to smile. "It was me."

"Sorry?" Gideon excused himself and turned to Belle.

"It was me!" Belle held the cup for Gideon to see. "This is the teacup I broke. It was a… A magical moment between your father and me. It is from the time when we fell in love, I kissed him, and we had our first true love's kiss moment. He had started changing back into how he looks today, but his fear got the better of him and he shut me out."

"I still don't understand how it's you, mother." Gideon said to her, a sympathetic look on his face.

"I awoke his heart. He felt love for me in that moment and it must have kicked started his ability to love." Belle's voice betrayed her, expressing her excitement. "He was obsessed with finding Baelfire, but I think along the way his love and hope for Baelfire had become lost in his darkness. Then we met and fell in love. From the moment he thought he lost me, he put into motion his plan. The love that had reignited in his heart pushed him to find happiness by finding Baelfire. "

Gideon frowned at his mother and took the teacup carefully from his mother. "So… It isn't father's power that allows him to love, like the Black Fairy thinks. It's because he found his true love?"

"Yes!" Belle's eyes lit up.


	4. Chapter 4

Sat in one of the booths in Grannies, Belle nursed the hot cup of tea between her hands and her thumb traced the rim of the cup fondly remembering their chipped teacup. The others were sitting around her at various tables. Gideon was faithfully staying by her side, sitting opposite her, whilst listening and joining into the deep conversation with the group. Belle was not interested. They were so fixed on breaking the shadow spell that the Black Fairy had cast on Rumpel, that they were missing the bigger picture. They needed to take care of the Black Fairy. The self-deluded woman needed to be defeated before she took Rumpel's power.

Belle had no idea where Rumpel was now hiding his dagger. She had not seen it since their little trip to the underworld and it was not as if they had been very close since returning. Asking Rumpel could lead the Black Fairy to finding it first, if she was watching them with Rumpel. As she found entertainment in watching her only son in pain, Belle knew that the woman would be nearby watching them, laughing at their attempts to free him. Finishing her tea Belle closed her eyes and wished that it were over already.

Regina suddenly stood from one of the stools at the counter and turned to the rest of the room. "We need to find his dagger then. If we cannot help Rumpel, then we need to do what Belle wanted to do. We need to put a stop to this crazy lady."

"Where does Rumpel keep it?" Snow asked, crooking her head to see Belle over her shoulder from where she sat on one of the middle tables.

Belle took a deep breath as a pause to think and then said. "Well… I don't know. He used to keep it on him, but I would have thought if it was there, the Black Fairy would already have used it on him. He must have hid it somewhere."

"Any ideas where he would keep it?" Charming questioned, sitting opposite Snow.

"Nope." Belle said and then sadly added. "We haven't really spent any time together since… Since I was woken up from the sleeping spell. We've spent more time arguing." Gideon's hand came over the table and squeezed her hand. He knew it had not been easy on Belle. The longing of watching your husband from afar. The tease of wanting him, but her pride had got the better of her.

"We need to go and search." Emma instructed. "We'll split up and go and search his shop and home, and maybe some other places he could have hid it."

"Charming and I will search the shop." Snow volunteered and Charming and her left Grannies, putting their coats on as they went through the door. Belle did not envy them, especially as the back room now looked like a tornado had been through it.

"Someone needs to go out and check the woods. August told me once that Rumpel had hid his dagger in the woods." Emma said, guiding Hook towards the door with a hand on his shoulder, and left.

Regina motioned for Henry to follow her and said to Belle, making her way to the door. "Henry and I will go and see if we can find anything more out about the Black Fairy that might help. I'll leave you to go to his house. I don't want know to know what I could find in his sock draw."

Belle nodded and scooted out from the booth with the door closing behind Regina and Henry, and put her coat on as she stood. Gideon stood up next to her and pulled down his rumpled shirt. She half-hearted smiled at him and made her way out of Grannies with Gideon close behind her. Casually going down the steps of Grannies, Belle looked over her shoulder at Gideon and waited a second for him to match her stride, linking arms with him as they walked to the sidewalk.

"Belle!" Blue was jogging down the sidewalk to them. "Rumpel wants you."

With no second thought, Belle quickly walked in Rumpel's direction but stopped when she heard Blue talking to Gideon. "He said he wants to speak to Belle on her own. Sorry, Gideon."

Gideon looked pained. "But…?"

"It's okay, Gideon. I won't be long. Go and get your father's car." Belle said. His shoulders dropped as he sulked off to get the car. She watched him go pass her and off towards his father's shop. As much as he was twenty-eight years old, he was very much a child.

Belle smiled briefly at the thought whilst striding over to the other big kid in her life. The nearer she got to him, the more her heart sank. Rumpel was still held in mid-air by the spikes. She could see exactly where the spikes had penetrated into his chest and leg. The blood around the spike wounds had dried. He had been through an ordeal overnight and his face showed the pain.

She came to stand less than a foot away from him. A tear threatened to fall down her cheek as Belle was assaulted by his oaky smell, her body lurching to touch him and kiss his pain away. Rumpel had his eyes shut when she approached, but as she had stopped close to him, his eyes had opened and a ghostly smile tried to tug at the corner of his lips.

"Belle." His voice sounded sore.

"Hey." She tried her best to give him a smile. Belle quickly folded her arms over her chest, not to protect herself, but to protect him from the temptation she felt to touch him. To stoke his face and run her fingers through his short hair.

"I love you, sweetheart." He whispered, swallowing after he spoke to soothe the rawness of his throat.

The tear, that had threatened to fall, fell and quickly ran down her cheek. "I love you too!"

He shuddered at her words. "I want you… I want you to forget... I want you to forget about me and move on with your life. Find someone who can love you like you deserve, sweetheart."

Her arms detangled instantly at his words. Belle was close to him now, she could feel his breath on her face, and cupped at his face with her hand. Rumpel gasped at her touch, his eyes clenched shut waiting for the pain. The terror of what she had done suddenly dawned on Belle and she took a step back retracting her hand from Rumpel's face instantly.

They waited. Silence between them. Slowly Rumpel opened his eyes and looked from Belle to the ground beneath him. Belle's eyebrows pushed up her forehead.

"Nothing." Rumpel whispered.

"I don't understand." Belle took a hesitant step back to her husband, her eyes studying his face. "Why?"

"I don't know." As he finished speaking, his eyes came to rest on Belle, staring deep into her eyes. A small chuckle of relief escaped Belle. She timidly touched his face again and waited… Nothing. Nothing happened when she touched Rumpel. All night the others had tried to help him and had only caused him to howl to the night. Charming had even tried lifting Rumpel off the spikes, but had only caused Rumpel pain as soon as Charming hands had touched him.

Belle could not contain herself any longer. Cupping his face between her hands, she kissed him and he returned it. She broke the kiss but did not move far away from him, her forehead rested against him. His eyes remained shut with his lips slightly parted.

"I'm not going to question it. I'm just glad I can touch you," Belle said to him and Rumpel opened his eyes. "Because I've been wanting to do that all night."

Rumpel looked puzzled for a second. "I've been in agony and you've been wanting to kiss me. That makes total sense, sweetheart."

She smiled at him. "Anyway, do not talk to me like this is the end." She caressed the side of his face, his fresh stubble had grown making his face rough. "We're stronger than that."

"I don't know whether we're strong enough to defeat her." Rumpel was honest.

"We will defeat her. We have more important things to deal with." Belle told him, rubbing at some of the dry blood in his hairline from his head wound he had gotten last night.

"Important things?" Rumpel questioned, his eyebrows crunched up at her words.

Belle lean towards his ear to whisper, his stubble grazed her cheek and made her toes curl up inside her boots. "Us."

She did not have to look at his face. She felt the smile on his face. As Belle moved back, she kissed him again and then stepped back. The smile did not leave his face. If anything, there was a renewed energy about him. A strength that had been taken from him.

"I'm going round you house now, with our son, so I hope there is nothing to find in your house that will embarrass you." Belle said playfully.

"Oh… I… Don't…" Rumpel quickly contemplated it. "Nope. Nope, it fine."

"Rumpel," Belle was amused by his reaction. "was there something?"

"We'll talk about it… Later." Rumpel said with a cheeky glint in his eyes. Belle could not help the full-blown smile as she walked away from him. The sad feeling that had sat in the pit of her stomach was gone.

Gideon sat outside Rumpel's store inside the car. Belle pulled open the car door and got inside, still smiling as she looked at Gideon. He frowned at her and put the car into drive to take her to Rumpel's house. Everything passed by so quickly. The only care in the world, that Belle had right now, was getting through all this so they could sit down and have that little chat they had promised each other.

The house stood out in the distance, its salmon paint making it stand out from the other houses on the street. The car squeaked to a halt in Rumpel's driveway. Belle had not been to his house since their confrontation. She clambered out of the car and shut the door, and looked up at a house she had once called her own. Called theirs. It seemed a lifetime had happened since he had first brought her home, welcoming her warmly. He had been treated her like a porcelain doll, scared she was going to break and be gone forever again.

Gideon was the first up the steps and opened the door to his father's house. Belle followed slowly, memories haunting her as she crossed the threshold into Rumpel's house. She left the door open and wandered into the sitting room. It was just as it was the last time she had been there. The furniture never used in that room. If Rumpel were going to hide his dagger in his house, it would not be in this room.

Ambling through the sitting room into the dining room, she looked around the room. Distantly she could hear Gideon searching through the kitchen with draws and cupboards opening and closing as he searched them. Belle shook her head, knowing that Rumpel would not be so careless to hide it where anyone could find it.

As she came through the other door out of the dining room, she entered the kitchen to see Gideon opening the cupboard under the sink. Belle smiled at the thought of Rumpel hiding it under the sink and climbed the stairs to the landing. She entered Rumpel's bedroom and paused in the doorway. Her eyes stared at the chest of draws that they had pinned the other against in the heat of the moment, broken by the lamp that sat on top of them.

"Damn lamp." Belle mumbled to herself and finally entered the room. She had no clue where the dagger could be. The only thing she wanted to do with it was throw it into the sea of lost souls.

With a heavy sigh, Belle dropped to sit onto the bed and lay back onto the bed. She stared at the ceiling above her. The last time she had been in this bed was when Gideon was probably conceived. Thinking of that afternoon spent in bed, Belle blushed and turned into the bedspread to hide it. Although she had joked to Rumpel about Gideon finding something he should not, she had not expected so many fond memories to come flooding back to her.

Rumpel had never been what she expected from a lover. All her reading had told her that the man led, but never Rumpel. He had always been more giving, allowing her to take control and do whatever she wanted. He seemed to get more pleasure from doing what she wanted then following his natural wants. Maybe it was age, he did have two centuries on her and she was not oblivious to the fact he had been with women before her. Nevertheless, it never stopped Belle feeling like it was always their first time, the exploration of skin and finding those sweet sensitive spots.

"Mother." Gideon called from the doorway. Belle shot up from the bed and quickly straightened the bedspread, and pulled at her coat. She wiped at her cheeks and her hair, trying to calm the redness from her cheeks. There was an amused smile on Gideon's face as Belle turned to face him.

"Yes, Gideon." She said, giving the young man a stern look, and tried to control herself.

"It's not downstairs." Gideon said, his hand indicating back down the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, Belle said. "Go and check the other bedrooms. I'll head down to the basement."

He nodded his head acknowledging her instruction and left her. Glancing around her old bedroom, Belle left Rumpel's bedroom and headed downstairs, and then down into the basement. It was its usual sight. Things were laid out over the workbenches, his spinner was in the corner and the bookshelves were all in a neat and tidy order. She missed watching him work. Belle could spend hours watching him from the steps of the basement.

Belle sighed heavily and began investigating the room. Her fingers ran over the edges of workbench nearest to her and then onto the bookshelf as she passed them. There thirst for knowledge was definitely a common interest for Rumpel and Belle. They had spent many evenings sat on the patio, both reading a book, their hands laced together over the table between them. He would read a book about magic while she would read a romance novel of some kind. He hated them with a passion, which was why she had stopped in front of one on the bookshelf.

"What are you doing here?" She ran her finger down its spine as she spoke to it. Belle pulled the book but it would not come from the shelf. Another tug at the spine and she heard a click near her foot. Looking down at the floor, Belle could see part of the bottom shelf had popped from the rest of it. She bent down and slowly opened the fake shelf. Belle gasped seeing the glint of his dagger, his name bold on the cheek of the blade.

Belle did not say anything as she grabbed the knife and quickly hid it into her coat. She pushed the compartment shut again and stood, and made sure the book was back in position. As Belle turned from the shelf feeling triumphant, the force that struck her across the face spun her round and into the bookshelf. Belle raised her hand to face, her cheek stung. Looking over her shoulder, the Black Fairy stood a few feet away looking very smug.

"I have been looking for that everywhere!" The Black Fairy placed her hands on her hips. "That boy certainly is good at hiding it." Belle did not say anything. She turned and pressed herself against the bookshelf behind her.

"Come on then, darling, hand it over." The Black Fairy said, holding her hand out for the dagger.

"You'll never have it." Belle stated.

"Now, now. Give me the dagger." The Black Fairy took a step towards Belle, who countered by shuffling further away against the bookshelf.

"You'll never have his power." Belle protectively held a hand over the dagger on the outside of her coat.

The smug look washed off the Black Fairy's face. "You do know that I could just take it from you. I don't even have to come over there."

"Try it!" Came a growl from behind the Black Fairy.

Startled by Gideon, the Black Fairy quickly turned round and put a hand over her heart. "Oh, you silly boy! What have I told you about creeping up on me!"

"I won't let you touch my mother!" Gideon stepped further into the room. Her son stood in front of her, flabbergasted Belle at how much he reminded her of Rumpel. The look, the intensity, it was all Rumpel.

"Don't get in my way, boy." The Black Fairy warned. Gideon had already edge his way to Belle's side, keeping her sheltered behind his back. Belle clutched at his shirt and kept a hand over the dagger. As the Black Fairy made a step forward towards them, Belle and Gideon were engulfed into a cloud of smoke. When it dissipated, Belle found that they were standing in middle of Grannies.

Gideon turned and hugged Belle. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you."

"It's okay, Gideon." Belle comforted him by stroking the back of his head. "You were there when I needed you." She kissed the side of his face as they pulled apart.


	5. Chapter 5

The dagger pushed heavily against Belle's chest, a constant reminder of the hell the dagger had brought to her life and the gifts it had given to her. If Rumpel had never became the Dark One, he would have died centuries before she was even born and she would never have found her true love. It was also one thing that Rumpel loved more than Belle or it symbol something that Belle could never compete with: his love for power. The only thing that had been a stable entity in his life.

With it in her safe keeping for the moment, Belle felt an ease settle over her, knowing that with it in her care it would make the Black Fairy's plans that much harder. Regina had cast a protection spell over Belle, so the Black Fairy could not hurt her or teleport the dagger out of Belle's keeping. Belle cursed Rumpel for not bringing his safe room that had no door to Storybrooke. The dagger would be a lot safer in there.

Belle sat with her back against the window in one of the booths in Grannies. A spell had been casted over Grannies where only residents of Storybrooke could enter, an extra barrier against the Black Fairy. No one was getting near his dagger.

"So…" Regina held her cup of coffee between her hands. "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" Belle asked with her hand hovering over the dagger protectively.

"Well, we're back where we were this morning. How do we help Rumpel now?" Regina questioned.

Belle frowned at the question. It was a good question. The only difference now was they knew where the dagger was, but Rumpel was still being held prisoner by the spikes going through his body. No one had seen the Black Fairy since the altercation at Rumpel's house. Not that she was making her presence known around Storybrooke. Always lurking in the shadows.

"As much as we now have father's dagger, the Black Fairy isn't going to just give up. She wants what he's got." Gideon informed them after taking a sip from his coke.

Regina learned forward onto the table. "She wants his power. Yeah, she said."

"Yes," Gideon looked to his mother and then back to Regina. "The Black Fairy is jealous that father can… love."

"Love?" Regina retorted, leaning back against the back of the seat.

"The Black Fairy doesn't feel love. But mother doesn't think it's because of his power, the reason he can feel love."

"No?" Regina said, looking at Belle beside her.

"When you told me about true love's kiss, I think it restarted his ability to love. Woke it up from the darkness." Belle explained and gestured towards her heart.

Regina pondered it pursing her lips and then nodded her head. "I can believe that. True love's kiss is powerful. And like you said, if you had had the chance to kiss him again, maybe you could have broken his curse of being the Dark One."

"Told ya!" Belle smiled and slapped Gideon on the arm. He rolled his eyes at his mother and fell back against the back of the seat.

Regina was puzzled by the exchanged but carried on with their conversation. "So, we still have a crazy fairy running around Storybrooke wanting to kill Rumpel for his power, but she isn't going to get what she wants. And when she doesn't get what she wants, his power to love, we're going to be stuck with possibly her being the Dark One that would be even crazier then she is now!"

"Yep." Gideon agreed, nodding his head.

"Gideon, have you ever seen her use the magic that she used on Rumpel?" Belle asked, checking inside her cup to see it was still empty.

"A few times, but she never taught it to me." Gideon answered. "I've never seen her reverse it either. Father being immortal is the only good thing about all this, as normally they would be dead by now."

"And we haven't got anything that would be able to reverse it?" Belle pointed the question to Regina.

Regina took a deep breath before she replied. "I have been through everything in Rumpel's shop and in my crypt. Blue has gone through what the fairies hav

e and there isn't anything that seems to damage it or reverse it."

"The only person who hasn't tried to do anything is being trapped in it." Belle thought out load. Regina and Gideon both looked to Belle, unsure what she was saying. "Well, you said it. Everyone who has magic has tried to break it. Rumpel is the only one, who out of all people with magic, who would be strong enough to break something like this. No offence, Regina."

"Oh, no. None taken." Regina waved her hand, but her face showed exactly how she was feeling about Belle's words.

"I mean, wouldn't dark magic be stronger than shadow magic?" Belle inquired, her gaze going between Gideon and Regina.

"Then why doesn't light magic win out over dark magic? Or even the other way round?" Gideon interjected.

"Yes, but there has to be a balance and as your father told me once, it depends on the person wielding the magic." Belle leaned forward onto the table to explain. "Take Regina and your father. Regina is dark magic and she is really good at it. Except, your father is, of course, the Dark One. He is dark magic. So he will always be stronger than Regina at using it."

"Yeah," Regina nodded her head at the reasoning. "I can see that. Rumpel is stronger than me and he was my tutor."

"So, how come Emma can't beat either one?" Gideon said before taking a sip of his coke.

Belle thought about it for a moment. "Emma is still new to magic. Yes, she is light magic. However, Regina and your father have been using magic nearly all their lives. Therefore, they have more experience than she does. Like with you, Gideon, you can use shadow and dark magic, but you're not as strong as Regina and your father."

"What your mother means," Regina said, with her trademark evil smile sweeping across her face. "We need to release the Dark one!"

"Not that I condone what he does, but he is his only hope at the moment." Belle clenched at the dagger through her coat.

"How are we going to get him to break out of it then?" Regina asked. "I think with the amount of pain it causes him, he won't be willingly to try."

"Sadly," Belle pursed her lips together before continuing. "He may not get a choice."

Regina frowned at Belle. "You can't be saying use the dagger against him?"

"How else are we to get him to do it?" Belle pleaded with Regina. "Tell me."

"I don't know. But I don't think it's fair to use it against him. You know how much he hates being used like a puppet. I don't know what Celina did to him, but he hasn't been the same since the year he spent with her." Regina shook her head in disgust.

"There might be one way." Gideon was looking down at his hands under the table.

"How?" Belle asked. Both Regina and Belle were looking at Gideon.

"You, mother." Gideon said.

Belle shook her head. "He won't do it for me. He wouldn't give up his power for me, Gideon. He isn't going to put himself through all that pain for me."

"A lot has happened since then." Gideon leaned forward onto the table and moved his coke to one side. "Look at it this way, if he doesn't do it, then fine use the dagger on him."

"I would only see him doing it, if Belle was going to be in real danger." Regina added.

"How are we going to make him think that?" Belle asked sceptically. "He knows no one in Storybrooke would ever hurt me."

"There is one person that would." Gideon said.

Belle shook her head. "I am not going to put the dagger in that danger. If the Black Fairy gets hold of it, then this will be all for nothing."

"Belle," Regina touched Belle's arm. "Who said it needs to be the real dagger?"

"Oh…" Belle stopped and let the suggestion sink in. There was no reason for the Black Fairy not to think it was real, if Belle was forced to command Rumpel. It may even bring the Black Fairy out of hiding and give them a chance to capture her and force her to undo her spell on Rumpel. The result could work out to be the same.

"Let's give it a go then." Belle said and then sighed. Regina nodded her head and then waved her hand over the table. A replica of Rumpel's dagger appeared on the table. Sliding out of the booth, Regina pulled her skirt straight and waited for Belle to get out from the booth. The two shared a weak smile between them.

"Regina, can you give me and Gideon a moment, please?" Belle asked, touching Regina's arm.

"Oh, sure. I'll just be outside." Regina motioned towards the door and left Belle and Gideon alone in Grannies. Gideon climbed out from the booth. His eyebrows were knitted together as he studied his mother's face. She rocked on the balls of her feet and turned to Gideon. She knew that there was more chance of things going her way, hope helped with that, but she was not stupid enough to think that there was not a chance that something could happen to her.

"Gideon," Belle slipped her hand into her coat and pulled out the real dagger. "I want you to take your father's dagger."

"Mother, no. It's safer with you." Gideon held his hands up in protest.

"A lot can happen out there Gideon. I need you to protect his dagger and him. It'll give me some peace of mind." Belle said, offering the dagger towards her son. Gideon hesitantly took his father's dagger. He turned it over and followed the glint on the dagger's blade with his eyes, tracing down the sharp edges.

"I also want you to do something." Belle told him, her hand resting on top of his that held the dagger. "You are going to leave Storybrooke."

"What?" Gideon exclaimed. A flicker of hurt crossed his face.

"Not forever. I just need you to take his dagger somewhere safe." Belle explained and stroked at his face with her free hand.

Gideon shook his head. "What if you need me? You're going to need my help!"

"I need you to do this. It'll help me, I promise." Belle smiled at him and then pulled him into a hug. "You'll be keeping your father safe and that will help me a great deal, son." His head nodded against the side of head, her logic finally overwhelming him. Belle was so proud of him in that moment. He did not realise how much he was going to be taking a weight off her shoulders.

Gideon was so brave and strong. People would probably say that it was inherited from Belle. And yes, they would be right. However, they would also be wrong. If they could see pass the mask that Rumpel wore, they would see this same brave and strong man, waiting for his moment in the sun. Except the monster that hung around Rumpel's neck, stopped that man. She knew the monster's hold on Rumpel was loosening these last couple of years, but alas, it had allowed Rumpel to turn more to the darkness than to Belle.

Pulling away from Gideon, Belle rubbed at a tear that was slowly rolling down her cheek. "Go."

He kissed her cheek and then vanished into a cloud of smoke. Her sigh was heavy as she turned to leave Grannies, snatching the fake dagger off the table. She slid it into the inside of her coat and pushed the door open. Regina was waiting at the top of the steps and joined Belle to descend them.

"Where's Gideon?" Regina looked over her shoulder to see if Gideon was going to follow.

"He's doing something for me." Belle replied.

Regina nodded her head in understanding and they walked in silence over to where the others had been keeping Rumpel company. Henry was sat on the floor in front of his grandfather, telling him how he was sorry that when he tried to write the story of what was happening, he could not help Rumpel. The sympathetic look Rumpel gave Henry made Belle's heart skip for a moment. She still remembered that look as she had gazed up at him from the chipped cup in her hands after dropping it on the floor. Rumpel had been so calm about it and had been so flippant with 'it's only a cup'.

Belle exhaled happily to herself coming to a stop behind Henry. She looked around at the others. Charming and Snow were loitering on the sidewalk, talking to one another, whilst Hook and Emma sat on the kerb. Regina touched Henry on the shoulder and asked him to follow her, taking him over to the others on the sidewalk.

Rumpel watched with curiosity as he lost his audience. Looking from Henry to Belle, Rumpel smiled at his wife and watched her move closer to stand near him. Belle kept her hands down at her sides, mulling over her words.

"Belle?" Rumpel looked from Belle to the others and back.

Belle pressed her lips hard together before she spoke. "Don't you think this is getting silly now?"

"What?" Rumpel's forehead creased up.

"You've been letting this woman get the better of you." Belle waved her hand absently in the air. "You've let your bitch of a mother do this to you. I can't believe it." The others on the sidewalk began to whisper amongst themselves, not understanding what Belle was saying. They all huddled together as Regina explained.

"Belle, you can't be serious." He retorted with a hint of pain in his voice from her words. "How can I do anything when I'm like this?"

"I thought you were the all powerful Dark One?" Belle chuckled.

"This isn't you talking." Rumpel shook his head at her.

Belle took a step nearer to Rumpel, his eyes darting over her face trying to work out what was happening. "I thought you were strong, but I guess I was wrong. How I ever thought you would be able to protect your son, or me I don't know. You would think the Dark One would be at least able to deal with someone so… weak compared to you. Maybe the Dark One has lost his touch. Emma was a lot more scarier than you as the Dark One."

"What!" Rumpel's voice went into a quiet growl.

Turning her back on him to step away, Belle took a moment to take a deep breath and then spun round to face him with her arms gesturing around the street. "She's already got Gideon. Now she's going to get me." Rumpel's eyes were starting to turn dark. "What exactly are you going to do to protect me? Nothing!"

"Watch your tone, Belle." Rumpel warned. His eyebrows were now shadowing over his eyes. Belle tried to hide her swallow. She had never seen him like this, or more she had never seen him use this look with her. With Regina or anyone else, yes, but never with her.

Belle laughed at him. "And what're you going to do? Just hang there and watch the show? Pathetic!"

"No." His voice was deep when he replied.

"It doesn't matter." Belle knew she was about to push a button. "Will has said that he's going to protect me and get Gideon back. He's man enough to do it as well. Not run off like someone I know."

Belle could not help the gasp as Rumpel let out a deep growl. His intense roar of anger made everyone on the sidewalk jump. Rumpel closed his eyes tight and bowed his head. Belle watched his fingers dig into the spikes that were through his hands, his knuckles turning white with the pressure.

Rumpel let out another shout of anger as he snatched his hands towards himself, breaking the tops of the spikes in front of him. He threw what was left of the spikes, which were drove through his hands, down onto the floor in temper. Focusing his magic to the ground, Rumpel engulfed himself into a cloud of black smoke. Belle could hear his groans in pain from within the cloud. She did not know whether to run in to comfort him or be prepared to run from him.

A flash of light dispersed the black smoke and revealed that Rumpel was gone. Belle gasped and quickly moved forward to examine the spot Rumpel had been. The spikes were now broken and were now stumps sticking up from the broken road. She looked around quickly for Rumpel. The others ran over and joined her in the middle of the street.

"Where is he?" Belle was alarmed.

She turned to make a run for Rumpel's shop in case he had gone in there, but stopped when the strong hand caught her chin and his fingertips pressed into her skin. "Here," Rumpel was seething. "Dearie!"

"Rumpel!" Belle screamed at him. Her reaction made him jump and release her chin. Before he knew what was happening, Belle wrapped her arms around his neck and was hanging off him. Rumpel did not know what to do or what was happening anymore.

"What the hell!" Rumpel pushed her away.

"It worked!" Belle exclaimed, holding onto him by his upper arms. She took in the sight of him. His waistcoat and shirt had three holes through them now, revealing his bare chest and stomach underneath. There was a hole through his pants leg, his skin now peeping through.

Rumpel went from being angry to very confused. "What worked?"

"It was Belle's idea." Regina informed Rumpel. "She said your magic would be stronger than the Black Fairy's."

"Sorry, what?" Rumpel rubbed at his temple.

"Look, I will explained everything later." Belle said bringing Rumpel's attention back to her. "Now we need to find a way of stopping the Black Fairy. I have an idea."

"Idea?" Rumpel held his hand over his forehead. He felt so lost.

Belle giggled at his confusion. "We need Pandora's box."


	6. Chapter 6

The front door creaked as Rumpel opened the door and allowed Belle and Emma to step into the house before he closed the door behind him. Emma ambled her way into the sitting room and sat down into one of the armchairs. She did not look comfortable being in Rumpel's home, but then Belle could understand as Emma and Rumpel had never had that sort of a relationship where she would have spent time at Rumpel's house. Belle gave her a sympathetic smile and left Emma to look through some antique magazines that were stacked on the coffee table.

Rumpel had already stripped his ruined waistcoat and shirt to dump on the kitchen counter and had sauntered his way off upstairs, and gone to get change. Making her way into the kitchen, Belle grabbed the ruined clothes and threw them into the bin under the sink before grabbing the kettle to fill it. She placed it on one of the burners of the stove and lit the ring underneath the kettle.

They had come up with a plan. It was simple enough. Trap the Black Fairy in the box and get on with their lives. Regina had gone to make some preparations and get some things together to cast an entrapment spell for when they staged their plan. The only reason they were at Rumpel's house was he had wanted to change and Emma had nominated herself to be bodyguard.

The kettle began to whistle. Turning off the gas, Belle placed out three cups and made everyone a cup of tea. It was nice to take a moment to breath and Belle was going to have a cup of tea before she passed out from withdrawal. Tea had been the last thing on her mind for the past two days. Now with Rumpel free, she could breathe more easily. She took a cup of tea into Emma, who thanked her before taking a sip, and then Belle took the other two cups upstairs to find Rumpel.

His bedroom door was a jar. Belle pushed at it with her shoulder, as the door widened she could hear the sounds of the shower more clearly. Keeping her eyes firmly in his bedroom, she crossed over to his bed and placed the two cups down on the nightstand. Belle sat down onto the bed and folded her legs in front of her, facing the open doorway to his bathroom.

Every now and then, she could hear him groaning in pleasure to himself, washing away the ache his body had gone through. Belle could not get over that there were no wounds where the spikes had been, but then what did she expect from the Dark One? If he was wounded, he would just heal himself and it would be as if it never happened. Except Belle did know that as much as the physical wounds were gone, the mental ones Rumpel could never heal.

The shower turned off in the other room. Belle heard the glass door open and close as she took a sip of her tea. In the shadows, she could see the odd movement and the flick of the towel as he rubbed the towel down his body. She missed this. Even though, there was not a 'this' now, it did not stop Belle hoping that they would sort it all out, once they got their chance to chat. She missed the intimacy. Yes, she missed the physical side of their relationship, who wouldn't? The intimacy of being comfortable to sit in the bed naked together, reading their own books, before cuddling up so she could fall asleep and he could go and play with his toys in the basement.

Rumpel was rubbing at his hair with the towel as he came out of the bathroom. Belle's eyes widened, not sure, whether she should look or not. He must have thought he was alone due to the lack of a tower around his waist. Moving the towel from his hair to dry his face, Rumpel revealed his peppered hair to be standing on ends. Rumpel stopped in the middle of his bedroom. They held each other's gazes. He was the first to smile and then broke their gaze to go to the chest of draws.

As he pulled the top draw open to get some underwear, Belle made herself take a drink from her teacup, distracting herself from the sight of her husband. The memories of the chest draws was once again in her mind. Rumpel pulled on his underwear and straightened the waistband as he came around the bed to sit down next to Belle on the bed, his hand resting on her folded legs.

"Is that for me?" He asked gesturing towards the tea. Belle nodded her head, frighten she might assault him if she tried opening her mouth to speak. His oaky smell stormed her senses as he leaned close to her. The closeness caused her breathing to hitch. Rumpel drank thirstily from his tea and finished it to put the cup back on the nightstand.

He let a long contented sigh out. "Two days I have been desperate for a cup of tea. Even better that it's been made by you, sweetheart."

Belle nodded her head again, clasping her hands in her lap to stop them from touching his hair. It was not the time. There were more important things to going on at the moment. Not playing with her husband's hair.

"You okay?" He asked, noting her odd behaviour. He had never known her to be quiet for this long.

"Yep." She said quickly. "You?"

"I'll be okay." Rumpel said as his fingers traced some hair back behind Belle's ear. She could have cursed him for touching her in such a manner. There she was trying to keep herself to herself, and he was touching her. The warmth of his fingers had left a fiery path across her cheek to her ear. Her eyes closed at the sensation, concentrating on it and not her husband.

Rumpel clicked his fingers, surprising Belle's eyes open to see a pair of socks in his hand. She watched him put his socks on, his eyes studying her face for answers. "You sure, you're okay?"

"Definitely." Belle replied and reached for her cup of tea. She was about to finish the last of her tea when his hand gently touched her arm and stopped her from raising the cup to her lips. Her eyes travelled up from the cup to his face, his dark brown eyes stared at her. She could feel it happening. The temptation to dive in and be lost inside of his eyes.

Rumpel shifted on the bed to face her with his leg folded underneath him and reached with his free hand to touch her face again. Her body betrayed her with her face leaning into his touch. Belle pressed her hand against the back of his hand on her face and closed her eyes to savour it, keeping his warmth from alluding her again. She let out a faint whimper when his lips brushed against hers. He took the cup from her and let it clatter onto the nightstand without a care for the mess. His hand quickly cupped the other side of her face as he pressed his lips against hers.

She could not keep her willpower against him anymore. It had melted away as he gently but firmly kissed her. Her hands ran up his bare chest and into his hair, tugging and running it through her fingers. His lips descended to her neck as he guided her to lie down to their sides and then coaxed her onto back. She was lost to him with him above her. The kisses and nibbles to her neck had made all thought go from her head. Belle was under his mercy.

Hungrily Rumpel latched his lips onto Belle's lips again, his hands working their way down her body. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades when his fingers had found their way under her top, his hot skin tickling her.

"Hey, guys!" Emma came bounding into the room and stopped. "Oh! Oh, no! Sorry! I'm so sorry!"

They stopped and looked at her from where they were on the bed. Emma was the prime example of a deer caught in headlights. Rumpel huffed and dragged himself off Belle, sitting down onto the edge of the bed with his back to Emma.

"What is it, dearie?" Rumpel's voice betrayed his annoyance.

"Erm… Regina just called. She's got everything waiting back at your shop." Emma informed them.

Rumpel looked at Emma over his shoulder. "Run along then, so I can get dressed. Unless you would like to watch, Miss Swan?"

Emma shook her head and apologised again as she left the room, closing the bedroom door behind her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Belle sat up from the bed to sit on the edge with Rumpel. His head was bent over with his eyes shut. Belle stroked her thumb over his cheek causing him to lift his head and look at her.

"Come on then." Belle said to him, forcing a smile to try to cheer him up.

Rumpel rolled his eyes at her. "Fate is a bastard at times to us."

Belle's smile went wider at her husband's words and stood up from the bed offering her hand to him. "You go downstairs." Rumpel gestured to himself. "I need to calm down… first."

She giggled at him and quickly kissed his cheek before prancing out of the room. When the door closed behind her, Belle paused against it and took a deep breath. He was intoxicating to her. With that thought in mind, Belle went down the stairs and found Emma loitering in the kitchen, fidgeting with the zip of her leather jacket.

Emma looked to Belle as Belle stepped off the last step. "I am so sorry, Belle. If I had known…"

"Its fine, Emma. Don't worry about it." Belle cut Emma off by holding her hand up and smiled at her.

"I didn't realise you two were back together." Emma confessed to Belle.

"We're not… Really." Belle's smile waved for a second. "But, we're going to be sitting down to sort it when this is all over with."

Emma nodded her head. "I hope it works out. Rumpel is easier to deal with when you're together."

"Miss Swan," Rumpel's voice made the two of them jump round to face him as he stopped on the bottom step fastening a button on his white shirt, leaving his shirt collar open. "I am always easy to deal with when you have something worth dealing in."

Belle rolled her eyes at Rumpel and patted Emma on the shoulder. "Why don't you go and get the car started and we'll be right out?"

"Sounds like a good idea." Emma said avoiding Rumpel's gaze and closed the front door behind her. Rumpel tucked his white shirt into his dress pants and stepped off the last step to head to the kitchen counter.

As he put his phone into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, Belle touched his shoulder and said. "White shirt and pants? No suit?"

"Well, dearie," He said turning to wrap his arms around her, drawing her against him. "It seems people have a thing against me wearing nice suits. They keep ruining them, so if I'm going to be getting into it again, I would rather save another three hundred dollar suit." Belle could understand his reasoning. He did have a soft spot for his suits and clothing.

Leaning into his ear, Belle whispered. "I think you look very sexy."

Rumpel chuckled and took her hand leading her to the front door. "I'll remember that as my mother tries to kill me."


	7. Chapter 7

Emma's yellow beetle pulled up to the kerb in front of Rumpel's shop. Belle climbed out from the passenger side and held the seat forward for Rumpel to get out from the back seat. His warmth brushed against her as he stood beside her, his cheeky grin showing he had done it on purpose. Belle playfully glared at him and pushed him aside so she could close the door to the beetle.

The bell from above Rumpel's door rang with the shop door opening, Regina and Snow came out onto the sidewalk, Snow closed the door behind them. Emma came around the car to join everyone on the sidewalk, placing her hands on her hips.

"I've got all the ingredients in the back." Regina pointed over her shoulder towards the shop. "We just need to decide where were going to set it up."

"I would suggest possibly the mines, or somewhere we have one in and out then she can't miss the trap then." Rumpel suggested, standing very close to Belle.

Emma frowned. "How would we get her down there?"

"Don't you worry about that, Miss Swan, I'm sure I can make myself very enticing to her." Rumpel said and then smirked. "I have that effect on women." Belle and Regina laughed. Belle swatted her hand against his chest and look to his face to see a hint of hurt in his eyes. She eased it away by rubbing at his chest and giving him a smile she knew would distract him from it.

"Did I miss something?" Regina asked looking at Rumpel and Belle. They were under their own spell and did not respond to her question. With a strong shake of her head, Emma stepped closer to Regina, avoiding her gaze from Rumpel and Belle. Emma had stayed silent on the drive from Rumpel's house, aware that the man in the back of car was burrowing into the back of head with a glare.

"What?" Snow questioned, missing what Regina had seen.

Regina gave Snow a brief smile and carried on. "So, we'll set this up down in the mine. Emma, you can help Snow and me. Rumpel can do whatever he has planned for his mother."

"Don't call her that." Rumpel stated, his finger pointing at Regina. "I don't have a mother."

"Okay… Let's go get the things from the back of the shop." Regina knew that tone very well from her lifelong tutor and did not pursue it. The three women entered the shop whilst Belle caressed Rumpel's face, noting the stab of hurt he had allowed to the surface. She always knew it was there, but he had always kept it hidden so well behind his mask. The last two days had put a lot of strain on Rumpel. He was not going to get the time he needed to process it.

"It's okay." Rumpel said, guiding her towards the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and stopped. His shoulders tensed. The knuckles of his hand on the doorknob turned white with the strain. Rumpel was not moving.

"Rumpel?" Belle touched his arm. "Rumpel!"

"Don't mind him, darling." Belle spun on the spot and pressed herself against Rumpel to protect him. "He's only doing what I told him to do, like a good little boy." The Black Fairy stood a few feet away down the sidewalk.

Belle scowled at the dagger that the Black Fairy held in her hand and said. "What have you done with Gideon?"

"Oh, he's fine. I put him down for a nap in his cell." The Black Fairy said, her evil grin spreading across her face. Belle took a deep breath, trying to calm the demon inside her that had destroyed Rumpel's back room. She had to remain level headed. It was what Rumpel would do. As much as he let emotion direct him, he always remain calm in these situations.

"Now," The Black Fairy began to move towards Rumpel. "I'll just take my son's power and be going."

"You're not going to touch him!" Belle snarled at the other woman, her hand taking a fistful of Rumpel's white shirt.

The Black Fairy stopped in front of Belle, face to face. "I don't see what you're going to do about it, darling."

Everyone would admit that Belle was not a violet person. Even with all the things that Rumpel had ever done to her, she had never struck him to hurt him. The rage though. The anger of seeing her husband treated as if he was nothing. This woman had tortured her son for 28 years (of his lifetime). All of it made Belle's blood boil, especially as this woman was now threatening to kill Belle's true love, it was Belle's tipping point.

The punch hit the other woman square on the jaw. Belle smiled at the shock that crossed over the Black Fairy's face as she stumbled back, her hand covering the spot Belle had hit. Before the Black Fairy could say or do anything, Belle punched her again knocking her down onto the floor. Quickly Belle jumped on top of the woman and was pounding her relentlessly.

"What I'm going to do!" Belle screamed at the woman between punches. "I'll show you!"

A strong warm arm hooked around Belle's stomach and lifted Belle off the Black Fairy effortlessly. Belle fought against him, thrashing her arms behind her to hit him. Rumpel placed her back down and let go of her, ignoring the beating she was giving him as he shoved her behind him. A moment of clarity descended promptly over Belle with the warmth and smell of him lulling her inner beast.

The Black Fairy stumbled to her feet, wiping the trickle of blood from her lip, with Rumpel's dagger still in her hand she commanded him. "Kill her!"

Belle froze. Rumpel remained standing in front of her, his hand leisurely resting on her hip to keep her behind him. Normally his kind, loving warmth would go when he was commanded. His Hyde would change him. Something though, was not right.

"No!" He barked at the Black Fairy. The Black Fairy was not the only one who was shocked by his reply. Belle leaned around his arm to look at his face. Yep, there was her Rumpel.

Shaking the knife as if that would help, the Black Fairy tried again. "I command you to killer!"

"And I told you!" Rumpel took a confidant step forward from Belle. "No!"

"I don't understand. You must have broken it, you stupid girl." The Black Fairy banged the knife into her other hand as if that would fix it. Rumbel chuckled and took the knife from the woman. He examined it between his hands, turning it over and checking the other side. With a snap of his hand, he flung the knife at the shop front beside him. The knife stabbed into the wood like a dart in a dartboard. The Black Fairy stared at it in disbelief.

"That's fake." Rumpel said, his words made the Black Fairy take a step back from him. "Someone must have switched them. You can't control me!"

The Black Fairy held her hands up to Rumpel. "Now, son, let's talk about this."

"TALK?" Rumpel shouted at the Black Fairy and Belle shuddered at his tone, he was raw.

"I just want to feel!" The Black Fairy pleaded taking another step back as Rumpel took one forward.

"You want to feel, do you? Well, I wanted my parents once, but where were they?" Rumpel countered his voice deep with emotion. The others had finally come out of the shop and joined Belle.

"Rumpel!" The Black Fairy backed herself up against a wall after crossing the small alleyway. He stopped. They were face to face. Belle watched him lift his hand up and touch the Black Fairy's cheek. The once terrifying Black Fairy was no putty in front of Rumpel.

"I can you make you feel." Rumpel replied. There was something haunting in his tone that the Black Fairy noticed. She pushed against the wall behind her, hoping she could move. "I can make you feel so much pain!"

The Black Fairy let out a cry at his words, but he carried on. "But," He paused as her eyes stared at him. "I have done a lot of… soul searching recently. Because of my father and you, I have live a life of being a coward. Scared to put myself out there in case I got hurt."

The others and Belle had moved closer, ready to back him up if he needed it. From what Belle was observing, she did not know whether to be proud of him or encourage him to kill the woman. Normally, the latter would be his first reaction, so Belle was very unsure where he was going with his speech.

"I have met so many people in my lifetime that have hurt me." Rumpel said, clenching his hands at his sides. "So when I became the Dark One, I promised that I would hurt everyone that ever stood in my way and that would dare to hurt me."

"I… I… Just wanted…" The Black Fairy began but Rumpel shushed her with a finger over her lips, and continued. "Then a light came into my life. It drives away the darkness every day, but it is me that is the coward and it has taken me nearly seven years to realise something."

The Black Fairy hesitantly asked him. "Realise what?"

"It isn't my dagger that gives me power." Rumpel said before he leaned in and whispered into the Black Fairy's ear. Her eyes shocked wide open with surprise and she looked over to where Belle stood. Belle felt very uncomfortable now that everyone apart from Rumpel was looking at her. Shrugging her shoulders at them, she hoped they would direct their gazes back to Rumpel but they did not.

Rumpel leaned back from his mother. "So, when you say you want my power, dearie, you'll never get it." He waved his hand and Pandora's Box appeared in the palm of his hand. "And you will never be able to hurt my family ever again." Rumpel said as his hand moved over the top of Pandora's Box to open it.

"Oh, really!" The Black Fairy said with a new wave of a bravery and thrusted her hand towards Belle. Belle was not sure what happened. One minute she was standing between Emma and Regina, the next she was looking up at the sky. The smell was first. The burning smell of fabric and skin. The pain crawled its way out across her stomach. Belle screamed at the pain, rolling herself into a ball on the floor. Emma was quickly at her side, trying to get a look at the wound.

The Black Fairy let out a heart-wrenching scream. Belle could just about see that Rumpel had pinned the Black Fairy up the wall by her neck. Snow dropped down beside Belle and blocked her view, trying to help Emma keep Belle still as she healed the wound.

"Rumpel!" Regina shouted at him. "Don't do it! You were doing it! You were being good! Just put her in the box!"

"I will not stand for this… This thing hurt my Belle!" He yelled.

Regina was at Rumpel's side, touching his arm that held the Black Fairy. "You know that I understand that but don't go back. The last couple of months you have been trying, I've seen it. Don't let this, bitch of a mother, stop you now!"

Belle sat up with the help of Snow and Emma. The wound was healed but it had left Belle breathless. She watched Rumpel take a deep breath and nodded to Regina over his shoulder. He released his hold on the Black Fairy and wave his hand at the Black Fairy, making her disappear into the box he still held in his hand.

The small box clunked loudly when Rumpel dropped it to the floor. He rubbed at his face making his way over to Belle and dropped to his knees in front of her. His eyes were full of unshed tears, brimming on the edge, waiting to be released. Belle shifted on the ground to a kneeling position in front of him and hugged him, cradling his head into the crook of her neck. Rumpel's body shook, crying a lifetime worth of hurt and agony away. Belle stroked her fingers through his hair and shushed his cries.

Regina touched Rumpel's and Belle's shoulders, drawing them to look at her. "What about Gideon?"

"Yes." Rumpel sniffled and wiped the tears from his face, his mask returned to hide his hurt. "Got to find Gideon." Rumpel stood and pulled Belle from the floor up to him. He paused and hovered his hand over her stomach where the blast had hit her. It was the first time Belle had actually looked at it. There was a hole the size of a tennis ball through her clothes, showing her bare stomach below.

"Guess I could have worn my suit then." Rumpel chuckled to himself and then kissed Belle on the cheek before turning to the other women to discuss business. "I will go and find him. He'll be in the shadow realm and that's not somewhere we all want to go."

"Rumpel, I want to come!" Belle told him touching his arm and made him look at her over his shoulder.

He smiled as he turned to face her again. "Belle, sweetheart, I promise you that I will find him and bring him back. I need you to be safe." Rumpel looked to Emma over his shoulder. "And you are coming with me. I need your light magic and you owe me for earlier." Rumpel stated to Emma surprising her.

"Oh… Okay." Emma said with a brief smile.

"But…" Belle began but Rumpel's lips hushed her with a kiss.

Breaking their kiss and stepping over to Emma, Rumpel said. "I will be back before you know it."

Then they were gone, taken away in his purple smoke as he transported them away. Belle groaned. Annoyed that she was always being left at home and never going on the adventure. She had never been on an adventure with Rumpel and she wanted to help finding their son.

"Well," Snow said gaining Belle's attention. "Let's go to Grannies and have a drink. I think we've earned it."

Regina collected Pandora's box from the ground. "First, I've got to put this somewhere save in my vault."

"Hang on," Belle jogged back up to where Rumpel's dagger was protruding from the wooden framework. "Let me get this." Belle said and tugged it out of the wood and checked it over. It looked so real to her.

Coming to stand beside her, Regina looked at the dagger. "I thought Rumpel said it was fake."

"He did." Belle replied.

"That's his dagger. I can feel the dark power from it." Regina said, her eyebrows scrunching at it. "How the hell was he able to disobey her?"

"I thought you might have switched the blades when I was punching her." Belle suggested, holding the dagger up to indicate it.

Regina shook her head. "No, I was about to, but then Rumpel let go of the door and went over to you. I thought she had dropped it and he had gained control back."

"Wait," Snow interjected, pointing at the dagger. "Are we saying that this is Rumpel's real dagger and he wasn't being controlled by her?"

"She was to begin with." Regina said, her eyes going to Rumpel's store door. "But he broke through it."


	8. Chapter 8

Belle sat on one of the windowsills in her apartment above the library. Her thumb idly traced the lip of the cup between her hands that rested on top of her knees. She was waiting for her men to return. Three days had already passed and Rumpel's promise of 'I'll be right back' was wearing thin. The Charmings had been round a few times to see if she had heard anything, worried where Rumpel had taken Emma. Nevertheless, Belle was sure that Rumpel would look after Emma. Even after the many run-ins the two had shared, there had always been a guiding hand from Rumpel to Emma and he had invested a lot into Emma in the past. She had been the key to finding Baelfire.

She sipped at the streaming brew as she watched the sunrise over Storybrooke. Another day and she was still stuck waiting for them. It was never nice to be the one left behind. She understood why, but that still did not stop the hurt of not being picked for the team. Rumpel was always trying to keep her out of harm's way. She just wished she were able to go out on adventures again, as she did after he ordered her to leave his castle and his life.

Rubbing at her neck, Belle was glad she had tidied the back of Rumpel's shop. If he had seen the mess she had made, he would have definitely gone full Dark One on her. He always prided himself on having everything in place, organised to the extreme. She had learnt that the hard way at his castle. Tidying his workshop had been the worst decision of her life. He had flipped out when he had found her in his workshop and then when nothing was in its place. She had gladly ran to her so called room in the dungeon and closed the door on herself. Do not mess with the Dark One's toys!

Belle giggled at the memory and climbed off the sill finishing her tea. Now that the sun was up, it was time she changed out of her nightie and got ready to start the day. She needed to make herself busy to take her mind off everything. Leaving the cup in the sink, Belle ambled through her apartment and paused at Gideon's door. She knew he would be home. She just had to be patient. With that in mind, Belle pushed her bedroom door open and stopped in the doorway.

Lying on her bed was a red rose. Belle frowned at the innocent rose and came around the bed to pick it up from her bed. She quickly looked around her room. Nothing. No one was there. The meaning dawned on Belle. The rose dropped from her hands as she hurriedly ripped her nightie off over her head. She grabbed whatever clothes were first to hand and ended up with a t-shirt and her comfortable track trousers that she wore around the house.

Belle ran out of her bedroom and straight to her front door, but paused. Through the frosted glass, she could see an outline of someone. Snatching the door open, she gasped seeing Gideon standing there. He smiled at her. Belle could not contain herself, she cried as she gathered him up into a hug, clinging to her son. She could hear him apologising but she did not care about that. He was home. He was safe.

She pulled back from him and cupped his face in her hands. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"Me too." Gideon responded.

"Where's your father?" Belle asked looking pass him, hoping Rumpel was behind him or coming up the stairs.

"He's got some things to sort out in the shadow realm." Gideon told her. Belle could not help the disappointed grunt at his words. Yes, she was happy Gideon was home but she wanted to make sure that Rumpel was all right as well.

She shook the disappointment away and dragged Gideon into her apartment to close the door. Belle led him over to the couch where they sat down together. She could not keep her hands off her son, checking him over. There were not any wounds or bruises on him, but then Rumpel or Gideon would have just healed them away. She knew Rumpel would not let their son come home to her with mark on him.

"So, what happened?" Belle asked, her hand tightly holding Gideon's.

"Well… When I left you, I went back to the shadow realm. I tried to find somewhere to put father's dagger, but she must have followed me. She must have known that you would give me the dagger or she was listening to us." Gideon explained. "I fought, mother, I did, but she tricked me. She conjured up a copy of you and demanded that I gave her the dagger for your life."

"Oh, Gideon." Belle comforted him by stroking her thumb over the back of his hand.

"It wasn't till I dropped the dagger that I realised that it wasn't you. But by then, she had the dagger and I couldn't get it back." Gideon sighed heavily.

Belle squeezed his hand. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

Gideon's gaze dropped to their hands, it was easier to speak to their hands. "She tortured me. She wanted to know what your plan was and the best way to get father to do what she wanted."

"Gideon." Belle said as she stroked his face.

He looked up to his mother and a smile came across his face. "Then she left and locked me in my cell. I didn't know how long it had been, but I started to hear commotion. I was shocked to see father come to rescue me. Emma and father had fought their way through all of the Black Fairy's loyal subjects."

"He would do anything for you, son." Belle smiled at the image of Rumpel coming to Gideon's rescue. Memories of their fake life in the Heroes and Villain book came to mind. Rumpel had really lived up to being a true knight in that book. It was just too bad it showed the goodness that he did have inside of him. Too bad, she could not get him to believe it himself.

"Yeah… But," Gideon stopped and looked at his mother. "There is something I need to tell you."

Belle frowned at Gideon's tone. "What?"

"Father wasn't being father." Gideon stated.

"Wasn't being him, how?" Belle questioned, her frown deepening.

"Well," Gideon rubbed at the back of his head. "He wasn't killing people for a start." Belle laughed whole-heartedly. She was waiting to hear that he had done something so immoral that she could never forgive him.

Gideon looked uncomfortable at his mother's reaction. "But, he's the Dark One. That's what he does."

"No," Belle shook head at him, controlling her giggles. "Your father is more than just the Dark One. He just has a hard time seeing what is deep inside of him."

"But all the stories I have heard, that's what he loves to do." Gideon stated to her.

Belle shook her head. "I, too, have heard the many stories about your father. From a young age, I heard how he took out a group of men singlehanded with just his dagger and that I should be a good girl or Rumpelstiltskin was going to take me away. When I went to live with him in the dark castle, it was rarely that he killed someone. I think actually Regina, or actually the Evil Queen, has a higher death toll that your father. She used to snap people's necks for the hell of it."

Gideon took a deep breath and mulled over his mother's musings. He shrugged it away and smiled at her as he said. "Either way, no matter what he has done in the past. He came for me and saved me."

"You can always count on your father to come for you." Belle told him honestly. "He would do anything for his children."

"It's a shame he couldn't save Baelfire. I would have loved to have known him." Gideon confessed to his mother.

"Right," Belle stood up from the couch. "Let's have some tea!" She said changing the subject. Talking about Baelfire was still a raw subject for Belle. She had only known him for a few months but they had been so close at the end. He would never have been a son in her eyes, but he was a good friend before his death.

"Sounds good to me. I'm going to shower and change first." Gideon told her, sauntering off to his room. Belle smiled watching him disappear into his room, but it sadly fell when she went back to thinking about Rumpel. The disappointment of not seeing him at the door with Gideon weighed heavily in his stomach. It was funny to think but not so long ago, she would have been glad not to see him. Now all she wanted to do was be lost within his arms.

A knock came from the apartment door. Stroking some hair out of her face, Belle came around the couch and could see a blonde headed silhouette at the door. She made her way over to door as Gideon came out of his room with some clothes and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Opening the door, Belle smiled at Emma. "Hey!"

"Hi Belle." Emma greeted. "Can I come in?"

"Sure, you can." Belle swept her arm gesturing for Emma to come in to her apartment. "I was just putting some tea on, would you like one?"

"I would love one." Emma closed the door behind her and followed Belle into the kitchen area, positioning herself on the other side of the kitchen counter to watch her. Belle filled the kettle and put it on the stove, lighting the ring underneath it.

"Did you come back with Gideon?" Belle asked, taking fresh cups out of the cupboard.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, Rumpel sent us back together, once we had gotten out of the Black Fairy's fortress."

"What is Rumpel doing? Gideon said he had some things to sort out in the shadow realm." Belle quizzed, dropping a tea bag into each cup.

"When we were searching for Gideon, we came across some children that the Black Fairy was using as slaves. They helped us get into the Black Fairy's fortress. Rumpel promised to find their parents and return them." Emma explained leaning down onto the counter.

Belle nodded her head to Emma, inwardly proud of Rumpel. "How's he going to find all their parents?"

"No idea." Emma said. "But he seemed to believe that he could do it. I am not going to argue with him. A year, I have spent with him in the most horrendous place ever! It was worse than the underworld."

"Wait," Belle stopped pouring the hot water. "A year? It's only been three days!"

"Time is different there." Emma responded as she reached over the counter and took one of the cups of tea that were brewing.

"Hang on. Now I am really confused." Belle put the kettle back on the stove and went over to the fridge.

Emma tilted her head to the side. "About what?" Belle offered the milk towards Emma. "No, thank you."

"Gideon was missing for a day and he aged to twenty eight in the shadow realm. You two have been gone three days and it's been a year?" Belle poured a small amount into her tea and returned the milk to the fridge.

"Yeah, Rumpel did say something about that." Emma said as she dunked her tea bag in and out of her cup. "He thinks that because the Evil Queen used that stuff on you to quicken your pregnancy, it must have left some effects on Gideon, so he grew up really quick."

Belle frowned. "But he's okay now?"

"Must have worn off." Emma replied before taking a sip from her tea.

The door to the bathroom opened, stream filtered its way into the room as Gideon came out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He put his dirty clothes into his room and then joined Belle and Emma at the counter in the kitchen area.

"Emma." Gideon greeted as he reached over the counter and picked up the remaining cup of tea.

"Better now you've had a shower?" Emma asked, smiling at the young man.

"Washing all that grime from the shadow realm away is heavenly." Gideon confessed and sipped from his tea.

"Good. Anyway," Emma turned her attention back to Belle. "The reason I'm here is to invite you both to my parent's wedding anniversary party."

"Oh!" Belle put her cup down on the counter. She had a stab of jealous stick into her side, thinking how Rumpel and she never celebrated their last two anniversaries. Mostly due to him being an idiot.

Gideon's eyes went wide. "I've never been to a party!"

"You'll love it!" Emma told him as she touched his upper arm. "They're going to hold it at the mansion, seeing as it has the ideal ballroom."

"That's where we had our honeymoon." Belle said fondly, her thumb stroking the rim of her cup.

"I suddenly just got the feeling that you shouldn't tell me anymore. I feel awkward at you just mentioning it." Gideon stated and drank from his tea.

"From what I heard, it was very fairy tale like." Emma informed him after finishing her tea.

Belle nodded her head. "We had our first dance in that ball room."

"Yes…" Gideon said unsurely before leaving them for his room. "I'm going to go in room before you mention anything else." He closed his door behind him. Belle and Emma laughed at his reaction.

"Anyway," Emma said heading towards the door. "It's going to start about six in the evening."

"Okay, we'll be there." Belle followed and held the door after Emma had opened it, and said to Emma. "Even if I just take Gideon on a tour of the mansion to show him each room where we had been, will entertain me for the night."

Emma stopped and frowned at Belle. "Even I'm now getting that awkward feeling. I don't want to know."

Belle laughed at her as Emma made her way down the wooden staircase. She closed the door with a smile pulling at her lips. Genuinely she was looking forward to the party on Friday. Belle just did not know whether she wanted to go without Rumpel being home first. How could she miss the celebration though?


	9. Chapter 9

Sitting at her desk, Belle was sorting through some returns, marking them off on the computer to stack them onto the trolley beside her. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was ten to six. With a heavy sigh, she returned to sorting through the stack in front of her. It was getting to that point in the evening. She either went upstairs and got ready for the party or hid herself in the library by locking the door.

Rumpel had still not returned. Apart from the rose that now sat on her bedside, there had been no word from him or anything else left for her to find. It had been weighing her down, thinking about him and missing him. Gideon had been trying his hardest to take her mind off it. He had cooked dinner, or more tried to cook, and sat and watched movies with her last night. The movies had been light hearted comedies but they did not interest Belle. She wanted her husband.

The door to the library opened. Her breath caught in her chest until Gideon came through the door, dressed ready to go to the party. It showed that Rumpel had influenced their son with his dress sense. He wore a nice black fitting suit with an open collar red shirt. Belle was overwhelmed for a moment as she thought about how handsome her baby boy was.

"Mother," Gideon said, coming to stop on the other side of the counter. "Come and get ready for the party."

"I… I don't know whether I want to go, Gideon." Belle clutched at the book in her hands.

Gideon smiled at her and said. "You know he would want you to go. As much as father is anti-social, he would still want you to go and enjoy yourself."

"You talk as if he's dead." Belle said with a frown.

"You know that I'm not and that I'm right." Gideon reached over the counter and took one of her hands from the book she was holding. "He'll be home soon." He told her as he squeezed her hand.

"Wish everyone would stop saying that." Belle took her hand from her son's hand and put the book on the trolley beside her.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Mother, please."

"What?" She looked up from the computer as she was entering another entry into it.

"You" Gideon said coming around the counter and grabbed her arm to yank her off her stool. "Are going! Even if I have to dress you!"

"Gideon!" Belle exclaimed trying to fight his hand away as he pulled her to the door.

"No, you're going. I am not going on my own!" He forced her through the door and stepped through behind her clicking his fingers to lock the door.

Belle's eyes went wide at the click of the lock. "My keys are in there!"

"Mother, you have a son with magic." Gideon informed her pushing her towards and up the stairs to their apartment. Begrudgingly she stomped her way up the stairs and swatted away his guiding hand from her back. She opened the door to their apartment and kicked her shoes off beside the door. Gideon closed the door behind her and watched her go into her room.

Belle was not happy about it, but fine. If her son wanted her to be his date for the evening, so be it. She promised herself she was not going to enjoy the evening as she snatched her dressing gown from the back of her door and went off into the bathroom. She was going to sit in a corner and drink, and then come home. It felt wrong to be going out without Rumpel. Not that he would want to attend if he was here, making some excuse that he had some experiment to perform in the basement or inventory to do at the shop.

As she showered, Belle wondered what he was doing at that precise moment. It was honourable what he was doing, returning the children to their homes. However, she could not help the small part of her that wondered what about her? And did it really need to take this long?

She pulled a face at Gideon, as she left the bathroom, not happy that her son was making her go out for the evening. He sat patiently waiting on the couch and flicked through the channels on the television. Belle shook her head closing her bedroom door and then turned to her wardrobe to open it. She sighed at her dresses and selected a blue strapless dress to lay it on the bed.

Opening her underwear draw, Belle stopped looking at the pictures she had displayed on top of her chest of draws. There were pictures of them from after the wedding and their honeymoon. They had spent the day at the beach during their honeymoon, taking selfies with each other. A smile spread across her face. Belle missed him more than ever. At least before, she knew she could just look out of the window and he would be nearby. Now, it just seemed like he was permanently gone.

Belle put on some underwear and then slipped into her dress. Before she left her room, she grabbed a pair of blue heels that matched her dress from the bottom of her wardrobe and headed back into the bathroom to do her hair and makeup. She dragged her damp hair back to twist it and clicked it into place off her shoulders. With an expert's touch, Belle applied her makeup quickly and glanced herself over in the mirror.

She came out of the bathroom to find Gideon pacing back and forth behind the couch. Her eyebrow raised at his behaviour, unsure whom he had inherited it from. Rumpel would never be one to pace and she was more than sure she had never done it, or at least not enough that she ever noticed it.

Gideon stopped when he turned and saw her. "Wow!"

"What?" Belle replied as she looked down at herself.

"You look amazing!" He answered taking a few steps forward to the end of the couch nearest her.

"Don't you sweet talk me! I'm not happy about this. I'm going for your sake." Belle told him slipping her feet into her heels.

"Hang on," Gideon pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of Belle. "One to show father on his return to show him what he missed out on." He said smiling at her and returned his phone to his pocket.

"If he returns…" Belle let her voice trail off, not allowing herself to finish her own sentence. She did not want to think about him not returning, but it was stuck in the forefront of her thoughts.

His hand gently touched her bare shoulder. "Mother, he is coming home. You'll see, I promise."

She looked at him for a moment before marching to the door to leave their apartment. They walked down the stairs and Belle noted how dark it had gotten already. It was going to be long night with no Rumpel at her side. With a heavy heart, Belle climbed into the passenger seat of the car and let Gideon drive them to mansion. He had come a long way with his driving. At least with him, mailboxes were safer than they were with Henry behind the wheel.

There was already many cars parked up the street from the mansion, lining the kerb as Gideon pulled into a free space near the mansion. She climbed out and looked up at the illuminated mansion. Fond memories of their honeymoon haunted her. Belle had not been there since. It did not feel right being back there without him. Gideon pulled her from her thoughts with a gentle hand on her back, leading her up the street as they followed some other people that had arrived in front of them.

The music from inside could be heard as they climbed the steps onto the porch. People were mingling on the porch with drinks in their hands. Belle smiled at a few people that greeted her as she led Gideon into the mansion. There was people everywhere. The Charmings had a good turnout for their anniversary party.

Gideon and Belle came to a standstill in the middle of the doorway to the ballroom. To Belle, she did not see anyone else in there apart from Rumpel and her, dancing their first dance as a married couple. They had been so happy. Alone and allowed to be just Rumpel and Belle. Husband and wife. It had been magical that outside the four walls of the mansion was another world, but inside it was just them. No one running in to ask for help or guidance. Just him and her.

"There's so many people here." Gideon leaned in to talk to her, watching the people dance in the ballroom.

"Why don't you go and find us some drinks, while I go out onto the patio." Belle suggested and pointed to the open doors in the ballroom that led to a patio area, which looked out onto the gardens of the mansion. He nodded his head and excused himself through the people trying to locate the table with drinks.

Belle aimlessly filtered through the crowd and stepped outside into the fresh air outside. They had decorated the patio with some fairy lights, streaming them from side to side. She smiled as she looked at them and thought how nice it would look to do it to Rumpel's patio area at his house. Whether he would let her would be another question. Not that he was around, she thought with a bemused look and then shook it away, a stab of a reminder he was not there.

"Mother!" Gideon called before he appeared through the patio doors.

She turned and thanked him as he handed her a drink before turning back to the garden. "They've done a really good job at decorating it out here."

"There's food and drink in one of the rooms off from the ballroom." Gideon told her, pointing in the direction of the room. "I did not realise there was this many people in Storybrooke."

"It is a big town." Belle smiled at him and sipped at her drink.

His eyes were scanning the ballroom through the patio doors. "If you don't mind, I'm going to see if Lilly has arrived."

"Lilly?" Belle was surprised.

"Yeah… She said she was going to be here." Gideon's cheeks reddened under the gaze of his mother.

Belle chuckled at him. "Go and find her. Have fun. You don't need to babysit me."

"Ok!" He said quickly and kissed her cheek fleetingly, and escaped into the sea of people in the ballroom. It was nice to see her son was settling into Storybrooke and into his new life. She knew how daunting it was too. Suddenly surrounded by all these people. Twenty-eight years in isolation had taken its toll on Belle, but she had pushed through the loneliness to make new friends.

Belle observed the people dotted around the garden. Everyone was with someone except her. She knew she should have stayed at home. All she wanted to do was sit on her couch in her t-shirt and jogging bottoms, watching some films she had borrowed from the library. At least at home, she did not have to put on a front of being happy. There was not much to be happy about when half of you was missing.

A hand touched her elbow, Belle's head snapped to see Emma standing beside her. "Hey!"

"Oh, hey!" Belle greeted and smiled. "This is a really nice party."

"I think everyone in Storybrooke is here." Emma informed Belle as she glanced round to the ballroom behind her.

"Not everyone." Belle said and finished her drink.

Emma tried to smile at Belle and squeezed Belle's arm reassuringly. "He'll be back. Have faith."

"I've spent nearly my whole life having faith in him." Belle responded and her gaze dropped to her feet.

"I know he'll be back," Emma said taking a step back. "Especially if he saw you tonight. You look beautiful!"

Belle looked up to Emma with a smile. "Thanks."

"Anyway, I got to find Hook, he owes me a dance." Emma left Belle to merge into the ballroom. Belle exhaled deeply at the thought that she was not going to dance with anyone. Anyone that she wanted to dance with tonight.

The longer Belle stood there, the more she convinced herself that she should go home. It was wrong to give in to Gideon. She knew better. Her frame of mind was all wrong to be at the celebration. Self-loathing was best done alone. She had learnt that from the master. He had locked himself away in his castle for so many years. Convincing himself that he did not need anyone in life because he did not believe that they would want or even love him.

"What" The whispered breath tickled her ear. "Are you doing out here on your own?" Belle could not breathe. Her eyes clenched shut at his words. She was convinced her mind was playing with her, teasing her that he was here. It was so convincing that the lips that kissed her neck caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She knew he was not here, even as the groan escaped her from the kisses to her neck.

His lips brushed against her skin as he spoke. "I was hoping to see you on the dance floor."

Belle opened her eyes and realised she could smell his oaky aftershave. "Rumpel?"

"Unless you're letting anyone kiss your neck." He replied in a playful tone. As he spoke, Belle spun on her heels to come face to face with him. He was smiling at her with his hands casually resting onto her hips. She cupped his face between her hands, taking in the sight of him hungrily. The grey in his hair had become the more prominent colour now, but he was still incredibly handsome dressed in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and black tie.

"I have missed you so much!" Belle confessed before kissing him. His arms hugged her, pressing her against his body as his hand steadied the back of her head. They forgot about everyone else and the party. It was just them on the patio of the mansion.

Rumpel was the first to break the kiss, breathless as he rested his forehead against hers to whisper. "I love you, Belle."

"I love you too." She sobbed with tears coming down her cheeks. Her hands clutched at his dark blue suit. They stood holding each other, ignoring the other people as they walked pass to go back inside or coming out for fresh air.

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled at her saying. "Come on. Let's go show them how to do it."

Rumpel took her hand and tried to lead her inside, but she refused to move from the patio. He looked back at her and saw the resistance. Stepping back to be close again, Rumpel stroked the back of his fingers against her cheek.

"I want to go home." Belle told him. He did not say anything. Taking her hand, he waved his hand and a cloud of smoke engulfed them.


	10. Chapter 10

The breeze glided over Belle's bare arm that was clutching at the sheet covering her. It danced through the hairs on her arm, gently tickling her to wake up from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes to see her bedside table. The rose that Rumpel had left for her seemed to be glowing in the morning sunshine. Belle did not move but looked puzzled with a foreign weight laying across her side and draped over her stomach. It was an odd occurrence. She had never awaken to this situation.

She turned her head to see the occupant behind her. Now Belle was even more confused, he never slept so why was he in her bed? With that in mind, Belle turned over keeping his arm draped over her and lay studying his face. His hair was tussled from apparently spending the night in her bed. On the other hand, did she do that last night? The scar on his upper lip always drew her attention and she still did not know how he had gotten it. She had not seen him this relaxed since his coma, though his face did not have the healthy colour as it did before her. At least he looked alive.

He looked even more alive when his eyes opened. "Stop staring at me."

"I can't help it." Belle explained and touched his cheek. "Did I miss that you can now sleep?"

"I haven't been asleep. I thought I would just lie with you while you slept. You did say once it would be nice to wake up to find me here." Rumpel said removing his arm from over her body to rub at something in his hair.

She nudged closer to him and kissed him, her hand hooking his neck to draw him to her. His hand pressed against her upper back, drawing her naked body against his own. They had reached a new high last night. A chance to grab rapture and make it their own, without anyone interrupting them. The night had been theirs to work out needs and wants of so many months apart. None of the heartache had mattered. It was just them and their release.

Their kiss naturally ended and Rumpel led back onto his back with his arm pulling her against his body. Belle's head rested on his chest and traced lazy patterns onto his skin. It felt like another life with this rare experience of waking up with him. She was never going to forget it.

They both heard the front door to Belle's apartment open and shut loudly. A silent agreement was made between them, as they both reached to the sheet and drew it up their bodies to cover themselves. As Belle tucked the sheet under her face, the door to her bedroom crept open. Their son's face slowly edged into sight from behind the door. Seeing the two of them in bed, Gideon took it as an invite to enter the bedroom and opened the door wider.

"You could have told me, you two had gone home!" Gideon's annoyance was evident in his voice. "I looked for you everywhere, mother."

"Well, you didn't look everywhere. We've been here all night." Rumpel replied with a smirk.

Gideon glared at his father. "It would have been nice to know that you had gone home."

"It just happened in the moment." Belle said. Gideon's body language relaxed. She knew she should have probably told him, but as she said, it just happened. One minute she was the loneliness person in the world and then Rumpel had made her whole by surprising her.

"I'm going to put some tea on." Gideon told them and reached for the doorknob to pull the door closed behind him.

Before Gideon took a step, Rumpel asked. "So where have you been? Stop out, did we?"

Gideon stopped with his hand on the door and looked at his father. Nothing was said. Father and son knew exactly what the answer was. Belle sat up keeping the sheet against herself with an arm across her chest and gazed between the two men in her life. It was still strange to think of Gideon as a man, but she could not deny it. He was too tall to deny it.

With a red face, Gideon left her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Belle looked down at Rumpel beside her, who had a full-blown smile. Something had amused her husband and she was yet to find out what.

"What?" Belle asked, nudging her elbow into his ribs.

He winched at the unexpected pain. "We've been having a manly chat." Rumpel said as he sat up to prop the pillow behind him to lean against the headboard. "He likes a girl in town."

"Lilly." Belle supplied with a smile.

"Oh, did he tell you?" Rumpel had a flash of hurt over his face as he spoke. He had probably thought that it had been a special moment between the two. Some male bonding.

"Gideon had mentioned her last night and gone to find her." Belle answered and added. "I got from that, that he liked her. He hasn't given me details."

The smile was back on Rumpel's face. "I'm glad he's found someone he likes. I'm not so happy its Maleficent's daughter, but I'm not going to stop him if he's happy."

"Wait a second," Belle touched his chest. "When did you two chat about this?"

Rumpel's eyes went wide before he quickly looked down at his hands. "Erm… Well, you see…"

"Woah!" She poked her finger into his chest just realising something. "Why wasn't he surprised to see you back?"

"Well… Sweetheart…" Rumpel mumbled slowly, thinking through his word choice.

Belle slapped at his bare chest. "You were back already!"

"Ow!" Rumpel could not help the chuckle at her reaction. "Yesterday morning."

"What!" Her voice was bordering on yelling. "I was moping around all yesterday and you were back?"

"I had to take care of some things before you saw me." Rumpel explained taking one of her hands between his. "I did not exactly look respectable."

"What does that mean?" Belle questioned, her eyebrows scrunching at his words.

"My hair was really long. I had this beard thing. And… I just didn't feel like me." His thumb rubbed over the back of her hand as he told her.

Belle sulked. "It would have been nice to have seen you though. He got to see you."

"Gideon only saw me because he felt me return. I didn't seek him out." Rumpel said with one of his hands cupping at her face. "He needed my assistance anyway."

"Assistance?" Belle raised an eyebrow at him.

"Who do you think got him the suit?" He asked gesturing towards the bedroom door, but more at the other occupant of the apartment.

"I thought it was very you!" She poked him again in his chest. Rumpel laughed at her and pulled her towards him, guiding her to rest against him. They sat quietly deep in their own thoughts, blissfully enjoying just being together. It made Belle reminisce about how they used to read the Sunday papers in bed together. He would come and wake her with breakfast in bed and would sit on the bed beside her as they read.

Rumpel kissed the top of her head and said. "We still need to talk."

"I know." Belle sighed and sat up to see his face. "We need to keep doing what we're doing. We need to stick together."

"No more running." Rumpel added and swept some hair behind her ear.

"There will be dark days. But if we stick together through them, then nothing can keep us apart." She said looking deeply into his eyes. It was nice to see the agreement. Belle was so used to there always being some kind of struggle between them.

His gaze went to the foot of the bed as Rumpel spoke. "You know, I've had a year and half to think about it. This conversation has played out so many ways in my head. The constant has always been that I need to remember that you love me. And I know now, even when we are having a bad time like we have been, you love me no matter what is happening."

Rumpel looked back to Belle and continued. "You stood up to fight for me. You were my hero and showed me that I don't have to fight either for darkness or light. I just need to fight for love." The back of his fingers caressed her cheek. "Fight for your love."

"Yeah, just don't fight against me or I'll pummel you like I did to your mother!" She told him playfully, lightly punching his chest.

He took the bait and laughed at her before saying. "Really, dearie?"

"Yep! You wouldn't stand a chance!" Belle smiled at him and added. "Dearie!"

"Oh, no, you can't steal my dearie!" Rumpel grabbed her by her arms and pushed her back into the bed, and leant his weight against her to pin her. Her excited scream rang in his ears but he did not care and latched onto her lips with his own. They lay there and kissed, hands wandering over each other's body.

A knock came from the bedroom door and Gideon shouted from the other side. "Tea!"

Rumpel broke their kiss to shout back. "Busy!"

They could hear their son mumbling to himself that he did not want to know and went back to enjoying each other. They had so many months to catch up on and baste in the sensations they could inflict on one another. Loving the other whole-heartedly, knowing that as much as they hurt one another, their love has the strength to keep them together.


End file.
